Nothing so Sweet
by Clichesbullet
Summary: Clumsy war hero meets often drunk and constantly grumpy landlady. They're barely acquaintances and if it wasn't for a trick or two that destiny pulled them, that would problably never change. NevillexHannah.
1. Chapter 1: Meeting Sprout

**Nothing so Sweet **

**A/N:**_ Hello everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fic in centuries and the first of the kind that I actually write in English. I simply loved the idea of Neville and Hannah together specially because it sounded so absurd and since I don't read HP fics anymore I have absolutely no idea if people actually like them together or not since everyone was so keen on having him and Luna as a couple and Hannah and Ernie were kinda like the most obvious thing ever, right? I bet nobody saw this one coming. So, anyway, I actually work the idea of shippers in this fic since the main plot is about how much everyone always believed Hannah would be with Ernie forever and how that didn't quite work out for her. So, yeah, first chapter is quite boring but I guess all first chapters are. I have this written up to the seventh chapter, I guess and it might last like 15, I'm not sure yet. Either way, please read and review just so I know there are fans of the couple out there! _

_P.S.: I'm sorry if speech is a little "americanized" or something. I've been reading the Twilight series...a lot. So, anyway, help me with any grammar and spelling mistakes, will ya? I'd love you to. _

**Chapter 1: Meeting Sprout **

"Good moo- oorning!" The voice that sang loudly filled the room, the woman in lime green opened all the windows and drapes.

"Susan, I'm so going to hex you." The body laid on the bed said, turning around to cover its head with the sheets.

"Hannah Abbott!" The other pulled the covers at once and sat on the corner of the bed with her hands on her hips:

"You're getting up _now_! I've planned a whole day of shopping in Hogsmeade for the both of us!"

"Susan…" Hannah raised half her body with her eyes still closed and her hair pointing to sixteen different directions. "We're_ literally_ next to Diagon Alley. Why bother going all the way to Hogsmeade just for shopping?" Susan stood up swiftly and looked at her friend's state with a hint of indignation:

"Hannah, you've been in this bed for weeks now! And if I'm not wrong, you were the one who insisted on us going to Hogsmeade in the first place! You want to buy a house there, remember? Or do you actually intend on spending the rest of your days living here at the Leaky Cauldron?"

Hannah opened one of her eyes and saw the blurry image of her bedroom alongside with the red and green spots that she deduced were Susan:

"Well, you have to agree that at least I'd save me the inconvenience of leaving home for work every morning." She smirked.

Susan Bones rolled her eyes and started to move around the room impatiently, shaking her wand:

"Look at your state! There are firewhisky bottles everywhere; your hair looks like garbage and besides all that, Tom mentioned that you have barely eaten anything in _days_!" Hannah said something like "That old man gossips like a bloody sixteen year old. I'm taking it from his paycheck" under her breath while she stared at her own image on the mirror next to her bed. She did look like a mess, she concluded easily, but that wasn't enough to make her want to get up at eight o'clock in the morning. "Even your reflex is looking at you with pity in its eyes!" Susan continued putting herself between her friend and the mirror:

"I wonder how you would be if it were _you_ who had been dumped instead, because if that's your condition after discarding somebody then I don't want to see you after a guy breaks up with you."

Hannah threw Susan a fuming glare and reeled towards the bathroom:

"It's too early to start making jokes, Sus. And you know just as much as I do that it's a lot more complicated than that!" She slammed the door behind her and soon the sound of water filling the bathtub was heard.

"All I know" Susan yelled to bathroom door. "Is that I'll be downstairs waiting for you so we can have breakfast together. And if you're not there in half an hour I'll personally make sure that all your shoes become troll food. Do you understand?" There was no answer from the bathroom. "Good! I'll be waiting!" And, with a loud "pop", she vanished from the room.

--

"Lunch at the Three Broomsticks?" Susan said all smiles. Each step in Hogsmeade seemed to bring back new memories from their time in Hogwarts.

"Sure, I simply love to sponsor my business rivals. What should we do next? Drop a few pints at the Hog's Head?"

"Could you control your enthusiasm?" Susan said rolling her eyes. "Everybody's noticing how _excited_ you are to be here."

Hannah scowled at her friend but followed her towards the bar. They both had pink cheeks and shallow breathing from all the walking so the comfortable seats at the Three Broomsticks seemed more and more attractive.

Hannah's first assumption was that everything looked exactly the same, maybe a little empty without all the students that used to hang out there, but that was all. Even Madam Rosmerta didn't seem to have gotten any older in the last nine years. Susan, on the other hand, apparently had spotted something even more familiar sitting at one of the tables:

"Professor Sprout!" She shouted and ran towards the chubby lady who looked at them with tearful eyes.

"Bones!" The woman stood up and was now holding Susan very tightly; she raised her eyes to the other girl. "Abbott! Come here, girl! Oh Gosh, look at you two! Sit down, please, sit down! This is sure a day to remember!" She gestured for them to sit in the empty chairs next to hers. "Oh my, oh my!" She was taking deep breaths while trying to wipe small sparkling tears from the corners of her eyes. Hannah and Susan were smiling from ear to ear.

"Er…Professor Sprout?" A tall figure wearing cobalt blue robes was standing next to the wooden table holding two mugs of butterbeer, looking shy and clumsy. "Should I order two more of these?"

"Aye, Neville!" Professor Sprout seemed to be slowly remembering what she was doing there before she met them. "Of course you should, lad! And Merlin's beard, please, call me Pomona! We're equals now!" While Neville made his way through the small crowd that was at the bar for lunch, whispering a thousand apologies, Susan asked:

"Equals? Could it possibly mean that Neville Longbottom is actually one of Hogwarts teachers now?"

"Exactly." Said Sprout with a voice filled with pride.

"Wow. Who would ever guess, right?" The woman leaned her body to the front, trying to get a better look of her old schoolmate, maybe trying to imagine him in class.

"I just hope he doesn't get anyone killed." Hannah commented. The other women looked at her. "I mean, no offense, he's a war hero and everything but let's face it. He was never quite the example of skillful." They giggled.

"But anyway, what's Professor Longbottom teaching, uh?" Susan asked.

"Potions." Sprout said with a very serious look on her face. The whole table burst with loud laughter. Hannah covered her mouth with her hands and Susan held her belly like it was throbbing. They were wheezing and tears rolled down their faces.

"You made the potions joke again, didn't you?" Neville was back with the butterbeers and he sounded a little bored, like someone who had heard the same thing a thousand times. He sat next to Sprout:

"It…works…every…time." She said breathless from all the glee and the young man rolled his eyes, resigned.

"No, no, now, seriously; what are you teaching, Longbottom?" Susan inquired, trying to recompose herself. Hannah looked like she was having a small seizure next to her friend. Neville smiled modestly:

"I was called to replace one of the biggest professors to ever step on Hogwarts' grounds." He said staring at the woman next to him with eyes full of awe.

"Are you mocking me?" Hannah stopped laughing at once and her eyes went back and forth from Neville to her old teacher. Susan's smile reduced a little.

"Are you retiring, Professor?"

"But of course I am! It's about time I start moving on with my life. Besides, Neville here is the most qualified person to replace me!" She beamed even more when her eyes met his. "He spent four years traveling around the word studying all kinds of magical plants and herbs. And, as if it wasn't enough, he insisted on spending this last year at Hogwarts with me as an intern, learning all about the job."

Neville looked pretty shy all the time while Sprout spoke, his forehead was crimson colored and he seemed much caught up in whatever was inside his mug. Hannah thought the whole thing to be very embarrassing.

"But who's the next head of Hufflepuff?"

"Well, I'm not sure about that yet; it all depends on Minerva's choice, but if it was on me, I'd probably go for Owen Cauldwell, our new Muggle Studies teacher but she might think he's too young. Although I do think he's perfect for the part."

There was a break in which everyone chewed a lot and no words were said. After a while, Sprout started:

"Well, now you know what Neville and I are going to do of our lives, but what about the two of you?"

"I work for the Ministry. Judicial area, nothing big yet, but I hope to be as great as my aunt someday." Hannah heard Susan's voice say.

"And you'll be, my dear, I'm sure you will. What about you, Hannah?" The teacher's eyes positioned themselves on her face and she looked away. She mumbled something with her mouth full.

"Sorry, dear, I didn't really get that."

"I bought the Leaky Cauldron. It's mine now."

Everyone, except for Susan, looked at her with puzzled expressions:

"It's not that big of a deal, really. Long story short; I made a few changes let the whole thing a little neater and a lot less creepy. It's just a charming inn with a nice pub, I guess. Besides, I'm allowed to spend my days wandering by the Diagon Alley; it's great fun." Professor Sprout's face lightened up with joy after hearing the last sentences.

"Oh, Hannah! That's exactly what Neville needed!" Neville choked on his jacket potatoes. "We've been talking about how he needs to go to London shopping for new clothes for about three _months_ now. But you know how men are, don't you? They can't do anything by themselves! And don't let me start on this one, ha! He took six months to even talk to Rosmerta without staring at his own shoes! The fact that he ordered us a meal today is a miracle, I tell you!"

"Honestly, Professor…Pomona, "He corrected as soon as she glared at him "I seriously doubt that Abbott would ever enjoy wasting her time with me while I shop for clothes and parchment…"Hannah thought Longbottom looked like he could just try to drown himself in his butterbeer now.

"Don't be silly, Neville! Hannah would love to help. It'd be great for her to actually have something to do! Poor girl has been so bored lately! Company is all she needs. Well, that and maybe some of Fortescue's ice cream. Promise me you'll pay her some, will you?"

"I…I promise." Neville mumbled, startled. He looked for a definitive answer on Hannah's face. The thin lips answered him with a small smile:

"It's alright, Longbottom, I'd love to help." She carved her nails on Susan's tight under the table. "Is next Friday good for you?"


	2. Chapter 2: Pixie Fertilizer

**NothingsoSweet**

**A/N:**_ Those who review will get a magical draco doll that says "Hey, you know what I Love? Snakes!" every time you pull its little rope. Ok, just kidding, but review anyway, ok? Love :D_

**Chapter 2: Pixie Fertilizer**

"Ms. Abbott, there's a visit for you downstairs." A kind voice said in a tone that indicated a bit of fear. It belonged to Eugene, one of the new employees Hannah had hired.

"Hm, a visit?" At the first sign of light on her eyes, Hannah felt her head explode and was immediately reminded of the three bottles of Ogden she had emptied by herself the night before.

"Yes, yes! A handsome young man, I might add. And he has such a familiar face…Like I had seen him somewhere else before, you see? And, oh, he has such beautiful eyes, a shade of grey that's so gorgeous that should be illegal!"

Hannah rolled her eyes at this but felt her head throbbing even more from the effort. She summoned her anti hangover potion from the bathroom counter.

"Maybe you _do_ know him, Eugene. Is there any chance your children collect the pictures that come in the chocolate frogs?"

"Of course." The housekeeper answered while watching Hannah turn the tiny bottle at once on her mouth and make her way towards the desk in the corner of the room. She browsed around a few messed parchments and smiled when she finally seemed to find what she was looking for. She handed a small picture to Eugene:

"Here. Could these possibly be the _astonishingly beautiful_ grey eyes you were talking about?" The man in the picture seemed much younger than the one she had met just a few minutes ago, Eugene thought, but it was definitely the same. He looked shy and utterly embarrassed to be there, like he was too modest to even smile to the camera. The image in the picture didn't even wave at her. Eugene's eyes went for the name written under the boy's photo:

"Merlin's beard!" she exclaimed. "Longbottom! Are you telling me that Neville Longbottom is here, right now, waiting for you downstairs at the pub?"

"I'd say yes."

"And why are you dressed like _that_!? Miss Abbott, please forgive me, but the boy is here to see you! You could at least try to look presentable. He seems worthy of your attention – more than the other one did, if I might add and…"

Hannah flushed; possibly from embarrassment but most likely from anger:

"Eugene! I'm sure I never gave you freedom to speak of such things with me and…" – she moved from side to side, not knowing what to think, choosing clothes and combing her hair. She stopped for a while and took a deep breath. "And, _besides_, I can guarantee that Mr. Longbottom it's not here with this kind of intention."

"But he brought flowers."

Hannah chocked with the toothpaste, her toothbrush in one hand:

"Flowers?"

"Flowers. Quite dazzling flowers by the way; looked magical."

"Is it possible that he actually thought this was some sort of date after all?" Hannah wondered to herself. She had just finished a three year relationship and she didn't think she was quite ready to start anything new, actually, she thought, "ready" would be the last word she'd use right now. She tried to shake the images away from her head. And Neville Longbottom of all people? That frightened her to death. She didn't want a new relationship at all, especially with someone who was about to start a fulltime career at Hogwarts and…

"Miss Abbott?" Eugene faced her with puzzled eyes.

"Oh, right. Please tell Mr. Longbottom I'll be there in twenty minutes and please…" She prolonged the sound of the first "e". "_Please_ try no to scare him."

"And just how would I do that?" Eugene said, cynical, leaving the room. Hannah stared at her reflection in the mirror that looked at her with despair:

"Please tell me you're not wearing_ that_, darling."

--

Tom, the old barman, seemed to clean the same glass for the thirteenth time, the nice lady who welcomed him simply couldn't avoid to stare every time he turned around – and he could swear he saw her holding a chocolate frog picture – and a few kids at a table just a few inches from him pointed and giggled from time to time.

"I shouldn't have come here at all! I had already forgotten; it was sign! A sign from heaven, but noooo, Sprout had to force me into coming, hadn't she? I bet even Abbott forgot! Ugh!"

"So, Longbottom, are you ready for all the super spontaneous hours of fun Susan and Professor Sprout prepared for us today?" The ironical smile appeared among the golden buttercups he had brought her and he noticed that somehow, they seemed to be a perfect match.

Neville stood up to give her a "hi" but, in his hush, he accidentally dropped the vase along with the chair he was sitting on.

"Oh, lord, I'm so sorry!" Hannah laughed and Neville suddenly felt nostalgic. He smiled apologetic, she beamed:

"I could swear you had changed, Longbottom! I mean, you're a war hero and everything, but I now see that you obviously haven't changed a bit." She picked the buttercups one by one. "You're the same lumbering boy that used to lose his frog every night."

But Neville didn't seem to be paying any attention to whatever she was saying; he took the flowers from her hands gently and put them back in the vase:

"Be careful. They only blossom correctly if you treat them carefully." Hannah let go of the flowers and watched him work, completely immersed. She realized she'd been wrong; he was a totally different person right now.

"You know…I can't really remember the last time somebody brought me flowers…"

_Crash!_The vase was on the floor again and Neville's face had assumed a peculiar shade of red. Hannah blushed too.

"Calm down. _Reparo!" _she said pointing her wand to the vase. "There. Sorry, I didn't really mean it that way, I was just saying…"

"Yeah, yeah." He muttered; his eyes back on the flowers. "I brought them for good luck. Flowers to thank you for wasting your time shopping with me and it's not like I have any interest in you at all, besides, I…" He gasped and choked, completely tongue-tied.

"Longbottom!" Hannah pulled the vase from his hands. He was being so harsh about her comment that she was starting to feel offended. "I got it, alright? There's no need to explain it _so_ vehemently. I'll put these on water and then we're good to go, ok?" She said turning around.

"Abbott…"

"Yes?"

"These flowers are not supposed to be put in water. We put them in pixie fertilizer." _Pixie fertilizer like in Pixie shit?_ Hannah thought:

"_What!?_" she asked instead.

"Er…I brought some with me." He said, handing her a smelly packet with an awkward smile. Hannah controlled her urges to bump her head against a wall.

This was going to be such a long day.

--

**A/N: **_Small chapter, I know, but please, read and review. Thanks to everyone who already did, love you all. _


	3. Chapter 3: Always Together

**Nothing so Sweet **

**A/N: **_Another small chapter but at least we can see some NevillexHannah interaction now. Please keep reading and reviewing, the Draco doll offer is still up! _

**Chapter 3: Always together **

"So, where do you want to start?" Hannah and Neville were leaning, side to side, against the back wall from the Leaky Cauldron. She was tall and was wearing heels but he still had some advantage.

"Hey, Abbott…" He was watching the people getting in and out of stores.

"Yes?"

"When you bought the pub, did you get the magic wall or is it public property?" She stared at him with a confused expression for a while but answered defiantly:

"The wall is mine, why?" Neville smirked, triumphant.

"Because I think I know why you bought the place." Hannah didn't make a sound. "You bought a good memory, right?" He turned his face so he could take a better look at her. She smiled:

"You have this innocent face of yours but you're quite clever, uh, Longbottom?"

--

"Abbott? Is it really you?" A curly haired girl was running in her direction.

"Megan?" They hugged each other. "It has been a while!"

Megan Jones was a bit younger than Hannah but they were fellows Hufflepuffs and even though they were not the greatest of friends it was still good to meet someone from school. Megan's short hair was neatly set behind her ears in which she worn emerald earrings that made an irritating noise every time she'd throw her head back while laughing.

"But you know what, Hannah, darling, today might be a day for unexpected meetings! You'll never guess in whom I ran into just now; so changed, so handsome. Of course, I guess, he's important now and…" Obviously Megan was referring to Neville – who she had been waiting for the last fifteen minutes, outside Gringotts - but she couldn't even pronounce a word in agreement because the other woman's expression had already changed into a malicious beam:

"Oh! How naïve of me! Sure you know who I'm talking about; you're probably here together!" She giggled making Hannah feel an intense urge to puke. "I always knew you two were up to something; always so close, so together at Hogwarts. Well, who am I to ever get on the way of the lovebirds, right?" Hannah was so shocked that she didn't manage to answer anything while the woman said goodbye. What was Megan's concept of always together anyway? The only time she actually spent with Neville – aside from DA meetings - at Hogwarts were the nights chasing Trevor together and only because he was too embarrassed to ask Gryffindor's prefects for help anymore. The idea of her and Neville together once again hit her, leaving her bewildered for a moment. A few seconds later, Neville returned from his visit to the bank. As Hannah still stared to the point from where Jones had just vanished, he asked:

"Something happened?" And he looked around trying to find the reason for her astonished state. Hannah shivered at the sound of his voice, suddenly, being there just next to him seemed quite embarrassing:

"N-nothing." She muttered. "Just an old friend that appeared from nowhere when I wasn't expecting."

"Abbott, maybe we should look for a tree. Your skin is starting to look burnt."

"Don't be silly, Longbottom!" She said in a desperate high-pitched voice, raising her hand to pat him but giving up when she realized it was better to avoid any contact. "It's just a healthy color!" she threw her hands in the air, talking louder than what she had intended. A few people looked at her and she felt completed embarrassed:

"So, what now, sir?" She changed the subject.

"I have a small list of items I'd like to acquire today." He said still doubtful of Hannah's sudden burst of extravagance. "I don't need to shop for books 'cause I receive most of them for free, still I'd like to pass by Flourish and Blots anyway for parchments and ink. After that..." He flushed slightly "I was wondering if wouldn't mind helping me chose nicer robes for my new job. They'll never be clean but at least they'll be pretty… if you help me." He added quickly. Hannah chuckled and Neville seemed to relax a bit.

"Oh, and if it's possible, I'd also like to buy a few pounds of dragon excrement for Professor Sprout!" He said with a wide smile.

"Jeez- you two might have had quite the quarrel."

"It's fertilizer, Abbott, fertilizer…" He answered rolling his eyes.

"You're giving _shit _as a gift to your mentor? That's touching." Neville pushed Hannah slightly, rolling his eyes as he did it.

"C'mon, Abbott, let's get going already."

The day passed by pleasantly, aside from the people that kept staring at Neville and the others that actually stopped to salute him here and there, everything went just fine. And slowly the awkwardness between them seemed to fade.

"Can you imagine how hard it might be for Harry?" He said after a particularly excited group of kids went away.

"Thank everyday for not being the boy-who-lived then."

"You have no _idea _of how much I actually thank God for that." Neville answered reminiscing about an awful conversation he had had with Harry while they were both working for Shacklebolt.

The fans, even though insistent, were easily dismissed; the tough part was explaining to the salespeople that they were not a couple. Whenever a slightly dubious comment was made, Neville would get nervous and accidentally crash most of the store while Hannah would get tongue-tied and start babbling unreserved nonsense for hours.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, they both had their hands full with bags. Their faces were somewhat red whereas their hair was messy from all the wind.

"Now the only thing left is a visit to Madam Malkin's, right?"

"Exactly."

The store seemed exactly the same, Neville thought, the only thing different would possibly be the clothes on the store windows. But he wouldn't know that, he didn't remember what was exposed the last time he had visited. While he chose different types of robes with the shop owner's help, Hannah sat on a puff at a hidden corner of the place, behind a peculiarly huge coat stand full of clothes.

She took a deep breath, exhausted, but, before she could relax, the sound of the bell above the front door of the shop took her by surprise, announcing a new costumer. She leaned a little forward, still sitting on the puff, to see the face of the new incomer.

Her heart stopped.

She immediately felt stupid for believing Megan had referred to Neville earlier. She had being with him since he had apparated that morning so there was no way Megan had seen him. No, obviously not. She was clearly talking about the other guy; the one that had actually spent every second of his school life right next to Hannah, the same one that now had a major post on the Ministry of Magic. How could she possibly think anyone would ever see her and Neville together when they were all blind by one and only unchanging idea? So, there he was. For the first time since they had broken up.

He hadn't changed a bit in the last four months, she thought, all his features were there: the perfectly combed fair hair, the elegant posture, the always too tidy robes and the pleasing smell of his usual cologne that escorted him as he walked through the door.

Yes, there was the guy that everyone else betted would be the love of Hannah's life. Ernie McMillan browsed happily the blue robes department.

"Shit!" Hannah whispered.

--

**A/N:**_So now you know. The whole point of this plot is about making Hannah get over the fact that no one else seems to think she's able to be happy far from Ernie. What, let's face it, was quite true before we found out about Neville and her. We were all HannahxErnie shippers on the inside._

_Anyway, don't you just love how both Neville and Hannah have a tendency to overreaction? I decided to describe Hannah as a nervous person since the O.W.L.'s fainting thing so I'm happy to finally be able to show the first signs of this behavior. Ok, I'm babbling. See you in the next chapter, please review!_


	4. Chapter 4: Ice Cream for Broken Hearts

**Nothing so Sweet**

**A/N: **_Ok, enough with intros already, let's make these two little lovebirds become friends! Please, read and review. _

**Chapter 4: Ice Cream for Broken Hearts**

"Oh _shit_!" Hannah searched desperately for a better hiding place with her eyes but it was hard as her vision was already blurred by all the tears forming in its corners. Her heart, which had stopped from the shock, was now vibrating under the influence of adrenaline. "Oh shit, shit, shit! Ten thousand bazillion bloody times shit! I can't be seen like this!" she whispered to herself. Her half image on one of the mirrors inside a dressing room commented something like: _"That's right, dear! Red heels and a sky blue dress? What were you thinking?"_

Thinking fast, Hannah threw herself inside the same dressing room from where the voice had came from, closing the door so fast that the loud noise got Ernie's attention. He turned around slowly and got closer and closer, trying to get a better look. Almost instantaneously she climbed over a puff so he couldn't even see her shoes; she heard his footsteps gaining distance from the place she was and sighed a little more relieved.

As she crossed her fingers hoping that he would leave soon, she heard the always so pompous tone she knew too well, exclaim:

"Neville Longbottom! What an honor!"

"Ernie McMillan?" Neville's voice sounded honestly pleased and Hannah felt a sudden urge to break their necks. "It's been a long time since I last saw you, right?"

"_Leave, leave, leave!" _She whispered a million times to herself.

"Oh, indeed. You were at least five inches shorter." They both laughed.

"Yes, I do get the feeling I grew a bit since I got back from Africa."

"A little? Has anyone ever told that maybe you're a bit too modest, Longbottom?"

"I guess I hear it all the time." Neville laughed, snorting a little. Probably it was a thing he did whenever he was feeling awkward, Hannah thought. "But, anyway, I heard you're now a head of department at the Ministry!" He changed the subject once again and inside the dressing room, Hannah bumped her head on the mirror. There a small silence outside, like Ernie was weighing a proper answer:

"Yes, yes. It seems like that all my efforts are now finally been rewarded. And you, buying all these new clothes…Is it a girl? Are you dating?"

Hannah's bones froze. Ernie's comment would easily bring up her presence there and she'd be doomed. But Neville just laughed, snorting again:

"Sort of, if you consider Professor Sprout a woman…" There another pause; this time longer and heavier. "No, McMillan! I'm going to be Hogwarts' new Herbology professor!"

"Oh, thank Gosh! For a second there I thought that maybe…"

"I _know_ what you thought!"

Hannah giggled quietly. That was so typical of Ernie, to be so close minded that he'd never get ironies. He'd always take everything seriously.

"Well, Longbottom, this was good but I got to flee." He said. Neville's voice sounded confused:

"Seriously? Weren't you here to shop?" Hannah got hold of her wand ready to throw stunning spell on Neville when she finally got out of the dressing room. Could he keep her ex-boyfriend's presence for any longer than that? Ernie's voice came out a little embarrassed:

"Hm, oh, well, actually I was just passing by to check things out, I'm in a bit of a hurry…"

"But isn't the Ministry building like really far? Were you here for a business meeting?" Something in Neville's attitude made Hannah think that he was trying to make a point.

"Oh, er…" Ernie mumbled. "Not exactly; I had some free time at work and decided to come to the Alley, visit Gringotts, you know?"

"Oh, I see, but…"

"Neville, I got to go, right?" He said nervously and, from the dressing room, Hannah heard the "pop" of his departure. But before she could breathe again, there were knocks on the door; she opened to find a very serious Neville Longbottom:

"He was here looking for you, uh?" It wasn't really a question and she couldn't get hold of herself anymore. The tears took over her sight completely, her head suddenly too heavy for her. She nodded in accord. Neville wrapped his arms around her a bit warily but still determined.

--

"You don't have to do this." She said; puffy eyes and red nose. "We really should go back to Madam Malkin's. I wasn't any help…"

"Stop being so silly, Hannah. Besides, if I'm well aware, I promised this to Susan. Merlin knows what that woman could to me if I didn't honor my word." He placed an enormous mountain of ice cream in front of her. It was so big and had so many flavours that it was obvious it was all being held in place by magic. "We can visit the store some other day, right? Now please do me the act of kindness of ingesting all this sugar until you feel better, will you?"

"No offense, Neville, but I don't think that sugar will be enough to make me feel better."

"I know; and that's why I ordered flavours like "cashews and rum", "red whine" and all the other ones that had alcohol in their recipe." Hannah chuckled a little.

Just a few hours ago, the person in front of her was merely a school acquaintance and now he was paying her ice cream and asking her to get better.

"I always knew."

"Knew what?"

"About you and Ernie." Neville sounded serious. "When Susan said you needed company, I thought something was up. So, he shows up and you hide…"

"Look," she started sounding annoyed. "I had enough of this. Everyone "always knew" about us. For sixteen years, all I heard was how Ernie and I were made for each other and how we should live happily ever after, but…"her eyes were blurry again. "But do we look happily ever after to you, Neville?"

They went silent, and he looked down and she ate the ice cream with a spoon, keeping her eyes down all the time.

"But he still likes you, right?" She nodded. "And you…?"

"Oh yeah, we love each other." She said with her mouth full.

"I'm not following."

"Nothing is that simple. Love is hardly the only thing you need. There's time, dedication…I needed things that Ernie would never give me." She made a pause in order to breathe and resumed more calmly. "He was once the reason I was alive, you know? I guess I am that kind of silly person who believes that love is the reason we're born. Putting things like this sounds pretty pathetic but that was the reason I lived. At school, we never really got together because I was afraid of risking all I felt in a relationship that could not work out, you see?" He bobbed his head. "I ran away as I could, as long as I could, mostly because I knew he'd do anything to see me happy. He once kissed me just because Susan had told him I liked him and that he should try; he didn't actually have feelings for me – he just liked me so badly he wanted to do what he could. Charity, you know? But I didn't want this clemency. It didn't matter how many times I heard how we were perfect together or those kinds of nonsense. I'd like him even without this, so I tried to keep my love as a secret, as something mine instead of a public misrepresentation; I lost my grip and started avoiding him, even in our rounds as prefects. For six months."

"But then…"she made another pause, staring blankly at the ice cream. "Then my mother died and I left Hogwarts feeling so stupid because aside from being the guy I liked he was also my best friend. Susan is great but she doesn't know how to handle some things, when she gets nervous she just keeps biting her nails instead of helping and Ernie…I needed Ernie so much on that way back to Liverpool."

"But I got home and as soon I gathered enough courage to get into my room, there was an owl from him, a thousand of them, day by day. He acted like I had never done anything to him. He's such a Hufflepuff; such a sense of brotherhood and friendship; loyalty, you see? I'm so self-centered, so moody, I still quite don't get the Sorting Hat." She smirked. "But it was thanks to him that I got strong enough to face the seventh year, to go back to Hogwarts and to survive that last year…Though, on this last one, surviving that year, I guess I owe you a lot too."

He smiled but waved his hand, like it was nothing. Tears rolled down her face and that made Neville uneasy:

"Hannah, you don't…"

"No, wait! I really want to tell you everything. It's good to talk about it, it helps."

"Anyway, we graduated, moved on with our lives, I found a few jobs, nothing big, we never lost contact but it was hard to keep things close when we were so far and so busy. Then, one day, just after I bought the Leaky Cauldron, he showed up there. He didn't even know I would be there, I hadn't told anyone I was planning on buying the place." She sighed and her eyes were lost for a few seconds:

"That night I was finally able to realize that Ernie actually did love me the way I loved him. But he was too formal, too cold. It wasn't charity or pity, he just wasn't passionate. And I thought I could live with that. So that night, more than three years ago, I was the happiest person alive." The ice cream in front of her was now almost done and Neville had one of his hands placed above one of hers.

"But I was never in first place. And as much as I'd like to be noble enough and say that I didn't need it, I'm not. Love is the most selfish of feelings when it's driven by such devotion as mine…Being second place was never enough, never satisfying. I waited alone more than a thousand times; I spent nights alone, I lost innumerous hairdos on dates that never happened, there were trips canceled and parties in which he couldn't talk to me because he was too busy making conversation with important people. So, he finally got promoted. And I freaked out."

"I couldn't let myself suffer any longer. I might be the most coward of women, so dependent and weak but I'd have to fight for myself at least once. So his bags were packed, his pictures were taken from the portraits, his drawers were emptied… And when he got back from work one night, I asked him to leave. He just obeyed; if that was what I needed, he just wanted me to be happy. He didn't fight, he didn't even look sad to lose me; he could be happy for me that easily. His love wasn't selfish, there was never fear in his eyes and I wanted, I wanted so bad to be needed instead of just loved…"

The tears had gotten the table wet but nobody seemed to notice, Hannah was crying silently, discreetly.

"I still love him, but that's my new goal in life: I got to go against everything everyone has ever told me." She slightly punched the table. "We were not made for each other; there are other options. I _can_ be happy without him."

Neville smiled at her.

"You will." He whispered as an answer.

--

"Would you like to go out next Friday?"

"What?" She looked at him a little shocked.

"I like you, Hannah." She blushed. "Not like this, woman! We barely know each other!" He rolled his eyes but she noticed he was feeling a bit awkward with all that:

"But I do like you. Since we studied together, you were always nice to me, even when you made all those angry faces because I had lost Trevor again." – She chuckled and placed a hand on Neville's shoulder.

"Look, Neville, you really don't have to do this, I'm fine. I'm sorry I tormented you with all my stories and everything but you don't have to feel the need to help me. I'm a big girl, charity is not necessary."

"It's not like that! I actually enjoyed the time I spent with you; I had a great day – aside from the whole tragic thing at the end – but it was great, really. I've been working for so long it felt good to be with someone my age. I don't know if you know about that but all my other Great War heroes friends are married and everything." Hannah laughed out loud. "Besides, you need company too. It's a win-win situation. I promise I won't talk a lot about plants."

Hannah raised an eyebrow at him but she was already smiling.

"C'mon, Abbott, you know you want to!" He sort of pleaded. "I know I'm not the best of companies, but I can always pay you some ice cream."

"Wow, someone seems desperate for my company." She said smugly.

"I am, but don't let this get to your head; I'm only using you because being your friend will do wonders for my reputation as a teacher. War hero _and _friends with a dangerous woman that runs a pub; I mean, how cool is that? I hope to have a better fame at Hogwarts now than the one I had when I actually attended school." Hannah slapped his shoulder mockingly. It was far in the night already and she hadn't even noticed the time passing by. They were already at the Leaky Cauldron wall.

"Well, I guess it could work. If we make sure not to drink a lot and end up sleeping with each other…"

"Oh gosh! That's just gross, Abbott!" Neville said blushing and making a face. "We _studied_ together! To me, you'll always have a round face, big cheeks and pigtails! Don't talk about that sort of thing with me." She noticed that not once he used the word sex. She laughed. He started to walk away, his hands on his pockets. When he hit the corner of the street he turned around on his heels, she was still there watching him leave with a smile on her face:

"Friday night?" He yelled.

"Perfect!" she answered in the same tone.

And that night she didn't drink, though Eugene and Tom commented about the fact that she was probably drunk anyway because why would anyone ask for pixie fertilizer? But they'd easily find out if only they saw the beautiful golden buttercups resting on the table right next to Hannah's bed as she slept that night.

--

**A/N:**_Long, long chapter, wonder if I did a good job on the character is such a drama queen, ain't she? But I guess she's just a bit too pasionate for her country, she should've been Italian. Neville is a little less shy by the end but this is sort of a consequence of Hannah opening herself like that, I guess. Please, read and review and let's hope that, from now on, Neville and Hannah become great friends, right? __Yay! _


	5. Chapter 5: Hannah's plan B

**Nothing so Sweet: **

**A/N: **_Ok, so 5th chapter is up, hope you like it. The events in this one happen a few months after the events on the 4th chapter and we can see how Hannah and Neville's friendship works. I really expect you people to be able to notice how dependent of him Hannah is becoming, cause that's kinda my whole point. Hope you like it! _

**Chapter 5: Hannah's plan B**

"Wow! That's awesome! You got it at the Battle of Hogwarts, I suppose?" A brown haired girl with a square jaw was talking to Neville in a bubbly way:

"Hum, yes, I suppose it was." He was saying, unpretentious. "Maybe a Death Eater, I wouldn't know; torture was pretty usual back at the time." The girl touched a scar under Neville's left eye.

"Poor boy! Such bravery!"

Right beside them, a bottle of Irish leprechaun green beer on her hands, Hannah rolled her eyes.

"Listen, I have some friends who would _never_ believe me if I told them I met Neville Longbottom; they're throwing a party a few blocks away, wouldn't you like to go?"

Hannah shot Neville with her eyes:

"I'm sorry, Laura, but I'm here with a friend; maybe some other time?" The girl seemed disappointed but gave him the coordinates to her fireplace anyway before leaving.

"That was the work of a Devil's Snare, right?" Hannah sipped from her bottle, raising an eyebrow at her friend:

"Aye, I almost lost a bloody _eye_! It's not like plants aren't dangerous; I had to fight that thing to death!" She guffawed, almost choking on her drink. "The universe is so unfair! A whole year of battles at Hogwarts and not _one_ easily visible scar but then, on my first day at work…I get this! In front of the whole class even!"

"Well, for what is worth, I heard that you and the plant fought fearlessly." Neville stared at her in shock:

"Which of those heartless, merciless little creatures that I teach told you this?"

"Aureola McPherson."

"The tiny brat! She's a little spawn of the devil, that's what she is! Now, I'm officially taking points from Ravenclaw next class!" He turned the bottle of butterbeer on his mouth at once.

"That's really not a pleasant thing to say about an eleven year old child."

"Don't be naïve, Hannah, these are the worst! They trick you with those round pink cheeks and huge innocent eyes but, deep down, they are more dangerous than the giant squid!"

For a while, they both laughed and watched as the many couples talked on their tables while others danced together or snnoged against the dark corners of the bar. In the last hour, Neville had dismissed three girls and one creature of unspecific gender whilst Hannah had managed not to look at anyone or at least look scary enough so that nobody would feel compelled to make an approach.

"You know what I don't get?" He commented bugged. "How come that I have to spend two months dealing with those kids at least two hours weekly before they started liking me and you go there like once or twice just to help me clean the greenhouses and _boom!_ They start sending you owls and that sort of thing."

"Oh, but that's simple: I'm prettier than you." She answered matter-of-factly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about it; these chubby cheeks are a powerful weapon of attraction." They chuckled together and Hannah yawned:

"My place?"

"Your place." And they apparated together.

--

"You have a problem with alcohol."

"Yes, you're right. It runs out really fast." She said staring at the bottom of her empty glass. Neville laughed but got up to take the bottle of rum from her hands. She booed him:

"_Killjoy!_" She said under her breath and stretched out on the carpet, her legs under the coffee table. "You know what I can't stop thinking about?" Her voice was serious as she stared at the roof. He answered from the tiny space that was supposed to be the kitchen:

"What?"

"How awful it might have been to be Ronald Weasley."

"Ok, now you're definitely drunk; already talking nonsense."

"No, no! Pay attention! Remember what I told you about feeling obligated to be with someone? Like…"

"Like you and Ernie." Hannah pretended not to listen.

"Anyway, for _years _everyone just assumed that Hermione was _doomed_ to be with Harry just because of that article Skeeter wrote or just 'cause they were close friends but nobody, not even for a second, considered that maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny possibility of Ronald being the right option." Neville chuckled:

"Well, you'll have to agree that they were not exactly good with showing affection towards each other up to a few years ago."

Hannah sat again and she looked severe:

"But Neville!" And, by her tone, they weren't talking about their schoolmates anymore. "This shouldn't even exist! Who do people think they are to go on like this, saying who's the best person for everyone?" She punched the floor as she spoke and let her head fall heavily on the coffee table, Neville hurried back to the living room. "All this time and all I had was that one option, one possibility…" She was already crying. "Every now and then I still see this whole thing as an obstacle for the both of us, you know? Just one more complication on our path to never ending happiness because that's just how things go, everybody knows "Ernie and Hannah" are meant to be – all I have to do is wait."

When he put one of his arms around her shoulders, she pressed herself against his chest, grabbing the wool of his sweater with one of her hands and sobbing. This wasn't new, Neville thought; every day things were the same. They'd go out, she'd pretend to be ok, she'd smile and laugh and then, when the night fell over them and the alcohol took over her, she'd show him her real state. He was shocked at first but now it was almost usual. Hannah was funny and passionate, but she was also a mess.

"All I wanted, all I needed…" She mumbled under her breath "Is a second option, you know? A plan B, maybe, I need a guarantee that this whole thing will end someday, understand?" Her voice was a little confused but her eyes were pleading. He didn't say anything; he placed his other arm under her knees and reeled towards her bed:

"You need some sleep." He said dragging the covers on her but she didn't seem any calmer. "You know," Neville started, sitting next to her legs "This thing I just did; carrying you here in my arms and all, that's the first time I managed doing that and not hurting anyone in the process! You should feel honored."

"Honored? You just jeopardized both of our lives carrying me and walking here with your jellyfish legs!" She answered huffily and they both sneered.

"I always thought it would be Ron." He said when their laughter ceased. She stared at him with wide open eyes. "I know I'm not an example of quick-witted, Hannah, but when it came to them, I just kinda knew." He shrugged. "Memory was never my biggest pride so I always had a few tricks to remember people or names so I wouldn't forget. Sometimes I had to write people's name down but there were things that never needed to be written, you know? Things there were so usual, they couldn't be forgotten. Ron and Hermione bickering was much of a cliché as Neville Longbottom losing his toad. So, maybe that's why I was the first to notice. Ok, maybe the second. Harry might have realized it sooner; and maybe Ginny and Mrs. Weasley…Oh well, I'm in the top ten, I guess." He chuckled. "And I was definitely ahead of Ronald, that's for sure." Hannah smiled and he patted her head. "I never forgot about your pigtails either. I never had to write your name down."

"_Now_ I feel honored." She mocked. He beamed and then spoke again, very seriously:

"I always believed in second options, Hannah, always. There's no such a thing as an unavoidable fate. Unless, of course, someone ever write a prophecy with your name in it and, honestly, even when that happens there are a few options…" Once again he lost track of what he was talking and Hannah raised an eyebrow at him. "Ok, that's a little off-topic. What I really mean is…This _will _end, Hannah, I promise you, you'll get through this. Now, try to get some sleep, ok?" He squeezed her hand slightly and stood up.

"Neville!" She called and he stopped in the middle of his way to the door:

"Yes?" He turned around to face her. Hannah pulled the covers of the empty side of her bed:

"I don't want to be alone right now." He answered to her request in silence. When he sat next to her on the bed, she rested her head on his shoulder and embraced him with only one of her arms: "Neville Longbottom," She whispered in a singing voice that was so low it was barely audible. "I sort of like you a lot, you know that? I think I can sort of love you!" And even without a proper answer, she fell asleep in three minutes.

--

The next morning started a little late and really slowly for Hannah. First, she opened her eyes and, with her eyesight still blurred, she concluded she was facing the end table of the left side of her bed and just a few steps away there was her bathroom. After that she was able to recognize that her whole body, aside from the head - what she realized with certain effort - was covered by her sheets and when she looked at the floor, trying to calculate if her need to pee was worth the exertion of walking towards the bathroom, she saw her bra laying there. Nevertheless she wasn't impressed at all by that, since it was one of her common habits, taking her lingerie while asleep, not even noticing as she did it.

But that was when the memories of the night before- accompanied by a huge headache-hit her. At first they were just blurry and messy flashes, but then she proceeded to organize her thoughts:

"_I asked Neville to make me company…" _She contemplated, puckering her brows. _"Then, I pulled my covers, he sat down, I held him…"_

Hannah looked to the right side of her bed and there he was: dark hair covering his forehead, his mouth semi-open and eventually muttering things is his deep asleep state. The vision of Neville in her bed triggered a silent panic attack on Hannah:

"_Oh, dear Lord! What have I done? Have I _**raped**_ Neville Longbottom? It's possible! Everyone knows I get all saucy when I'm drunk! Oh Lord!" _Like Hannah, Neville was also covered up to his head by the sheets and there was only one way to find out the truth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and then, as inconspicuously as possible, really slowly, she raised the covers a little over their bodies and looked into them.

"_Oh thank God!"_ She smiled relieved_ "We're both decently dressed! Neville remains a pure, innocent child!"_

Hannah could now return her attention to her growing hangover. She remembered about the potion she kept on the cupboard above her bathroom sink and decided to gather the courage and walk to the bathroom anyway. She used the toilet and then found the tiny bottle and turned it on her mouth. The first sip burned her tongue like strong and bitter coffee. She decided that she felt tired enough to get back to bet and get some more sleep, maybe later Neville would wake up and make some breakfast or something, she thought. So she brushed her teeth and practically crawled back to her bed, thinking that she almost felt better now, when she noticed a figure standing on her doorframe.

At first it looked like just one person, but she realized there were two. Two people, one of them old, bald and arched, the other young, tall with flaming hair and fancy clothes. Both of them had matching expressions of surprise and joy, their mouths forming perfect "o"s. They looked from Hannah to the bra on the floor and then their eyes shifted to the little mount on the bed that was Neville and then back to Hannah's heavy-eyed look.

"I was already suspecting." Tom whispered.

"Wait a minute! That thing over there is _Longbottom_?" Susan exclaimed incredulous.

**A/N: **_Oh guys! Thank you so much for the nice reviews! I know it's hard to find people writing NevillexHannah stories 'cause everybody wanted him to be with Luna, but HEY! I'm really glad Neville found his special someone on some of the supportive cast of the Harry Potter books! Ha-ha! So, anyway, please, read and review! I really like this chapter, though I still think Hannah is the biggest drama queen ever :T! _


	6. Chapter 6: A lot of choking for Neville

**Nothing So Sweet:**

**A/N: **_Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! The delay for this was absurd! I hope you're still willing to read it! I'll try to compensate by posting this chapter and the next with only a week interval, ok? Sorry, guys!_

**Chapter 6: **** A lot of choking and Embarrassment for Neville Longbottom **

"Neville, dear, are you ok?" At this, Neville choke on his porridge. The old lady next to him started patting him on the back while rolling her eyes. "_Unbelievable!_" he could swear he heard her muttering to herself. "One would think you'd have changed at least a _bit_ on the last seven years!"

"I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall." He mumbled to the headmaster. She narrowed her eyes at him exactly as she had done so many times before when he was younger. He coughed once more before correcting himself. "Sorry, _Minerva_." She smiled. "I was distracted."

"I could tell that much." She sniffed. "May I ask what's bothering you, young man?"

Neville pondered on the right answer to that question.

"I suppose I'm just impressed I survived a whole semester here." He finally said. This was only partially true, he knew, but it seemed to convince her. She laughed:

"Well, can't say I'm impressed; ever since I saw you take charge of the D.A. …" The headmaster said with her usual fierce look. "I knew you were nothing but a natural leader!" Neville looked away, his face gone absurdly pink from embarrassment. Professor McGonagall snored:

"Now, now, don't you be silly, lad. There's no reason to act coy. I'm just pointing out the obvious…"

"Seriously, Professor…"

"_Minerva._" She corrected him again with a severe tone before saying: "If I might add I was actually rather slow to my conclusions. Albus knew from day one exactly how valuable you'd be to all of us."

Neville sank in his chair, staring at his porridge already aware of what expected him. Whenever the late headmaster was mentioned, he simply knew the conversation would become way too passionate to be stopped and that hoping for a change of subject would become mere wishful thinking. It was not, as some might think, that he despised the subject or the long conversations with his new boss, not at all. He just couldn't bare the jolt of compliments everyone seemed to hold for him whenever the Great War was the subject.

To his surprise, however, McGonagall didn't say anything for a while, he could still feel her gaze on his face but she didn't say a word. When her eyes finally looked elsewhere, he allowed himself to breath again.

"You know, Longbottom…" She started and his lungs were swiftly contracted again. This was the hard part of working on the place you'd had grown up, he thought, more often than he'd like he'd still feel like an awkward 11 year old who didn't know how to behave in front of the teachers.

"Yes?" He forced himself to speak once he realized the woman was expecting some kind of reaction from him. Professor McGonagall – no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't able to call her any other way – stared at him with an inquisitorial eyebrow raised:

"Are you sure the end of semester is the only thing on your mind?" He chose this moment to drink from his pumpkin juice on what he thought to be both a bold and a smart attitude. With that, he actually believed he had put an ending to the conversation but McGonagall was just too wit. "Because I recently realized that you and Miss Abbott are no longer together." Neville spit most of his juice on the table as a result from the shock. The students on the Great Hall didn't bother to turn around; most of them didn't even flinch in surprise. After six months of daily accidents it had become quite clear to everyone that Professor Longbottom had some coordination issues.

"Just as I thought." She said as she took a sip from her tea, not at all worried with the man choking loudly right next to her. "So the two of you had a little quarrel? That's sad; Miss Abbott is an adorable girl…"

"Hannah and I we…we weren't an item, ma'am." Were the first words Neville managed to say as soon as he was able to breath evenly again. His boss stared at him, a hint of doubt on her severe eyes: "Now, _that_'s nonsense." She took off her square spectacles. "Weren't the two of you spending every second of your free time together? If I'm not mistaken, she even came for a visit here once or twice." Neville was now literally purple from all the embarrassment:

"Y-yes…I mean, no! No, we weren't. Yes, we did that but no, no we weren't together. We are…we were only good friends." He stuttered.

"_Were_ you?" The headmaster's eyebrows went up again and she started cleaning her glasses with a piece of cloth she took from her vests. "I find that hard to believe. What kind of abysmally big argument could put an ending to such a close friendship between two _adults_?" Even though she had underlined the world "adults", he knew she was using the same tone she used with students who were misbehaving.

"Things are complicated…" He whispered, too afraid to face the woman.

"Complicated?" Why – oh why – was Professor McGonagall suddenly so interested in his personal life? He sank even more in his chair, wishing he could be as small as he felt at that moment, so he could run and hide (even though he knew that even if he managed to transform into something else, she'd still be able to find him with her cat senses). "I do understand Miss Abbott can be a little…_hard_ to deal with sometimes; the poor girl, her nerves get the best of her." At this, Neville raised his own eyebrows. He often thought of his new friend Hannah as an alley cat – it even seemed ironical the fact that she actually _lived_ in an alley – she never trusted anyone, she was always prone to mood swings. He had already lost the count of how many times he had had to drag her out from stores and restaurants to stop her from picking fights with lazy attendants or annoying costumers. She wasn't aggressive but it didn't really help when she made ugly faces to happy couples or bubbly teenagers, she was in a constant bad mood but he had gotten used to it, he had fun with that. It wasn't the reason for their fight at all. Thinking about it, he thought, he actually missed that a bit.

"Well, she wasn't always like this…" He tried; he had a theory that all her attitude was just a self-protection mechanism. Professor McGonagall looked puzzled for a second:

"You are not serious, are you?" She put her glasses back on. "I can't recall one day in that child's school years in which she didn't get into trouble because of her temper."

"You mean getting into fights?" He had almost forgotten to be embarrassed now. All that information was news to him. "That can't be true. Hannah was made prefect." That he knew for sure, even with his failing memory. Hannah was the only he had the guts to ask for help when Trevor went missing. After a while, she even memorized his toad's favourites hiding spots.

"Fights? Merlin, no! The girl was a sweetheart; she'd never even raise her voice to anyone. Her problem was…well…It was a lot like yours, really. Don't you remember the little _incident _involving Miss Abbott on you kids' O.W.L.'s?" Neville face went very puzzled and the woman took a deep breath, resigned. "Oh, who am I trying to fool? Of course _you_ wouldn't remember."

"I'm sorry?" He said hesitantly. McGonagall waved him off.

"It's alright; I'm more than used to your memory by now, kid." She smiled patting him on the shoulder, after taking a deep breath she continued: "Anyway, on your fifth year, Miss Abbott had an emotional breakdown during one of your classes, don't you remember any of that?" Neville stared at her, clueless; she shrugged. "Hum. You'd think someone would remember a girl bursting into tears during classes…"

"She _burst into tears_?" That didn't sound like Hannah at all. Of course, she sure did a lot of crying but it was – most of the time – very composed and usually induced by a large amount of alcohol.

"Oh, but that was just the beginning, really. She cried and cried, screaming that she was just too stupid to take the exams and that she'd just have to leave school…" Neville couldn't help but try to picture the image in his head and chuckled. "She only calmed after a strong dose of Calming Draught."

"Wow."

"So, when the actual test came, she did great in most everything. Except, maybe, for her Transfiguration test…" the professor seemed to be lost in thoughts for a second. "When she multiplied one simple ferret into a flock of flamingos." Neville laughed out loud, even McGonagall had a little smirk on her face as she continued. "Can you imagine? She had Griselda and me running around, trying to capture a very scared bunch of pink gigantic birds…" Neville now had tears in the corner of his eyes from all the laughter; however, he still froze when the woman placed her hand on top of his. Minerva looked at him with kindness through her harsh eyes:

"That's why I say you and Hannah have the same problem, my dear." She patted him gently on the hand. "You two show the same meaningless lack of confidence that causes all kinds of disasters. I clearly remember telling Pomona on how she was strictly forbidden to let the both of you work together during Herbology classes. That's how I found out you were good at it, actually; cause she was shocked that I thought of you as clumsy. Forgetful maybe, she said, but as talented as anyone could be when it came to plants." Neville blushed again but his chest was filled with pride, he smiled.

"Oh, Neville, and talking of big birds..." She looked at the enchanted ceiling where the mail was just arriving. Among white, brown, grey and black owls a huge blue bird of paradise appeared. Neville's mouth popped open. He wished from the bottom of his heart that the bird was destined to someone else – maybe the Care of Magical Creatures teacher – but he knew there was only one person in the world that'd use that kind of birds for communication purposes. "It's from Luna Lovegood." Professor McGonagall answered his question before he could say anything. The bird flew right into his bawl of porridge ad making a huge mess. This time, everyone turned their faces to look; Neville's face became purple for the third time that morning. Professor McGonagall stood up:

"I received one of this myself this morning in my office. It's an invitation; apparently Miss Lovegood is getting married."

"What?"

"Well, she doesn't call it a wedding, I wasn't really able to understand but it sounded pretty much like a wedding to me."

"B…but…" Neville couldn't understand anything anymore. McGonagall was losing her patience so she just took a deep breath and said: "All I'm trying to say here, Mr. Longbottom, is that you'll need a date for the ceremony and that the fact that you won't invite Miss Abbott to go with you just because you two had a little quarrel sounds quite stupid. Especially when such friendship seemed to work greatly for the both of you, don't you think? It's clear for me that the both of you together can work a better way to walk out of disasters. It's like adding two bad lucks and getting a normal one."

"I don't see your point, Prof…Minerva."

"Oh lad, you tire me! Miss Lovegood herself told me that she was dying to meet Miss Abbott so is more than natural that she'd send you a spare invitation."

"How did she even _know _about Hannah?" The whole situation was so confusing that he even forgot to deny the rumors about his relationship with Hannah. Professor McGonagall looked at him with a knowing look.

"For that," she said contracting her lips. "I'm afraid you'll have to check out the rest of your mail."

"My mail?"

"The Daily Prophet to be exact."

"Oh no."

**A/N:**_This was a confusing ending, I admit, but the whole thing is to be explained on the next two or three chapters (I'm afraid we'll only know more about Luna's "wedding" after Neville and Hannah make up and that'll take a while). About their fighting and everything it isn't really something important, they're both overreacting a little. If I do it right, you people will understand easily how their personalities crashed in a bad way causing all this. Anyway…Wish me luck! And, as I promised, the next chapter will be up really, really soon. It's already written, it just needs some editing! _

_Please, review, ok? And, once again, SO SORRY! _

P.S.: Oh, I also edited grammar and spelling mistakes also as time line mistakes from the other chapters. If you spot something, please tell me ;D!


	7. Chapter 7: Skeeter Says

**Nothing so Sweet**

**A/N: **_As promised another chapter within a week! We get some explanations about Neville and Hannah's little quarrel and it IS quite little. Aside from that, I should add that I'm super excited cause I just came up with chapter 10 and it features a very "adorkable" drunk Neville and a sober Hannah. _

**Chapter**** 7: Skeeter Says **

"Trevor!" Hannah couldn't hold back a giggle. "How are you doing, uh? It must be tough being a 300 years old toad." Too old to even consider running away, Trevor just stood very still in a bawl of water next to a big window in Neville's room.

"As if!" Neville said smiling while looking for some papers on his desk. "_That_…" he added in a mockery but very affectionate tone. "Will never die. Great Uncle Algie knew me; he knew that no matter the animal he gave me, it'd be dead within three days, so he made sure to give me the most resistant creature the universe has ever produced. I'm telling you, Hannah, we'll die one day, and Trevor will attend our funerals." Neville made a pause:

"Well, maybe yours. I have a feeling that as soon as I kick the bucket, he'll find a way to run away to Yugoslav or something." Hannah laughed. In a certain way, she knew he was right.

"It's the first time I see your room." She commented sitting on his bed. She had visited him before but it was her first time on his bedroom. It was a small place on the professor's wing. Two huge windows let the light inside the round room, there was also a four-poster bed just like in the student's bedrooms (except that that one was bigger), a small, old-looking bookcase overflowing with Herbology books and an end table next to his bed with a heavy-looking book marked halfway to the end. As Neville didn't answer, she kept browsing the room with her eyes; right next to the big book she saw a portrait. The picture showed a younger version of Neville – some cuts of the final battle still on his face – standing tall right next to an old lady wearing a hat. He had his arms around a couple; even though Neville smiled at her and the old lady gave her a very judgmental look, the couple stood still almost like in a muggle picture. She suddenly felt as if she was snooping and stood up at once:

"So, have you found what you were looking for?"

"Actually, no, I didn't. I simply can't remember where I last put it." Hannah rolled her eyes but smiled. He kept looking through his parchments and notebooks on his desk, accidentally bumping into something that looked like a round paperweight. He didn't seem to notice as the thing rolled all the way to the desk's edge. Hannah raised her wand:

"Accio!" She said, stopping the object just seconds before it hit the ground and crashed into a thousand pieces. Neville seemed grateful:

"My remembrall! I hadn't realized it had fallen, thanks, Hannah. I just bought this." As soon as he touched the round object on Hannah's hand it started glowing and screaming: "YOU'RE FORGETTING SOMETHING!! YOU ARE FORGGETING SOMETHING!" Neville immediately took it out from Hannah's hand and shove the remembrall on a drawer in his desk, holding it shut until the vibration stopped.

"I have no idea what I forgot." He said to himself. "Oh well…" he added and got back to his search. Hannah took small steps in his direction but she could notice he was avoiding her. She knew it from the start.

"Neville, what's this?" She said kneeling right next to him, snooping into a big box under his desk. She knew he was patient, so she would press all his buttons until he admitted something was wrong. She opened the box; a whole collection – an enormous collection- of multicolored "Drooble's Best Blowing Gum" wrappers laid there. Neville looked very edgy for a second; he accidentally dropped half the content of his desk on the floor. He kneeled next to Hannah to collect it and closed the box, all without looking at her:

"It's just a collection. Please, don't touch it." Hannah took her hands out of the box and watched Neville as he picked up papers and books, trying to organize them. She stood quiet for a few seconds but them she suddenly felt outraged:

"What's your problem?" Her face was becoming a very unattractive shade of red. "I know Susan was rude that morning. I know you didn't need to hear those things…But I already gave her hell because of that! Why are you avoiding me?" She closed her hands in tiny fists. "I already said I'm sorry! Why can't you just talk to me already? I didn't do anything wrong! Be mad at her!"

"I'm not mad at you, Hannah." He didn't look up as he said that. "You're overreacting." He completed under his breath. Hannah stood up again:

"You've been completely avoiding me for the last three weeks, haven't you? You don't answer any of my owls, I can never get in touch with you…I'm not overreacting. _You_ are!" Neville took a deep breath; Hannah couldn't tell whether he was feeling impatient or awkward. "You act mature all the time but you're such a child!" She couldn't stop the words from coming out anymore. "So Susan went there and made all the wrong assumptions, I even understand she was abusively vile and a right down bitch to you but still…I explained her everything. You shouldn't bother about her; I'm your friend, not her. Why would her opinion matter in the first place?" She tried to maintain her calm and be logical but she couldn't. "I at least _hope _that _that_ was the reason for all this cause, if I end up finding out that the only reason you're not able to look me in the eye anymore is just cause you're a little _embarrassed _over her misunderstanding us for a couple then I'll really be disappointed at you." Neville's ears turned pink. Hannah's jaw dropped open:

"You can't be serious!" She exclaimed, exasperated. She knew he had the right to be mad at Susan, she had been rude claiming that Hannah was somewhat using Neville just to get over Ernie; she knew she didn't say it as to offend Neville but she also knew it probably did. But gaining distance in order to avoid any other misunderstandings, that was pathetic for anyone over thirteen. "How old are you? Do you think I have the time to deal with such a childish behavior?" With another deep breath, Neville finally stood up:

"Your nerves again, uh?" He said. "You're shaking." He smiled. "You're always overreacting." Hannah didn't understand what he was talking about so she just got angrier.

"Grow up!" She said fighting a tingling on the corner of her eyes. Neville sighed:

"You need to calm down, I'm sorry I made you so mad. I never had any intentions of upsetting you whatsoever, I just…" Hannah didn't wait for the end of his sentence. She turned around and slammed the door behind her; she made her way through Hogwarts' hallways felling rather angry for not being able to apparate straight at home.

- -

"I hate you!" She appeared suddenly at her friend's fireplace in London. "I hate you _so much_! Every little living cell inside me hates you with a passion!" She walked out of the fireplace very unsteadily, almost dropping one or two vases.

"I'm going to go buy some milk." A very unsurprised Justin Finch-Fletchley stood up, folded the newspaper he had been reading and apparated.

"SUSAN BONES! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"In the kitchen." Replied her friend's voice on a sing-sang tone that indicated she had already been expecting Hannah.

"_You!_" She pointed her index finger at Susan. "You're so possessive that you don't want me to have any other friends, isn't it? You have to draw them all away from me; every single one of them!"

"I'll go on a limb here and say that the encounter with Longbottom wasn't exactly a bed of roses." She said finally turning around and placing two coffee mugs on the kitchen table. Hannah broke down in tears:

"He hates me! He hates me and it's all your fault; _your fault_!" Hannah took a sit on the kitchen table. "My only friend…" She'd whisper while bumping her head against the wood. "My only real friend and you ruined it all…"

"Aye, and what am I? The neighbor's dog?" Hannah scowled:

"Dogs are a lot more faithful and noble than you, Susan Bones." She proceeded to go back into her bumping. Susan took a deep breath:

"Hannah, dear, when you're drunk, _please_ don't use the fireplace; all this alcohol breath may cause accidents."

A conjunct of trays that had been lying above the fridge suddenly fell – one by one - on Susan's head.

"Ouch! That was totally uncalled for!" She said while massaging her head. Hannah pouted her lips and rolled her eyes, irritated.

"Drink this." Susan placed a third mug on the table, the liquid inside was mud colored and had a very unpleasant pungent smell. "You'll need it." The look on the red-headed woman's face had changed completely; she seemed really worried. Hannah ignored her, feeling very contrary. "Hannah, please, drink it! I have a serious subject I need to discuss with you."

"Well, _I_ have nothing to discuss with _you_." She turned her face the other way, ignoring her friend. Susan held Hannah by her shoulders and forced her to make eye contact.

"Alright! I get it, I made a big mistake saying all those things about Longbottom but I already sent him that enormous apologizing letter you made me write, didn't I? He answered that already. He's ok with me, so stop blaming others for what you've done to him."

"I've done n…"

"You stood still. You agreed with me."

"I did _not_!"

"Hannah, while I screamed all that about you using this ridiculous obsessive friendship of the two of you…"Hannah opened her mouth to protest. "Shut up, no one becomes that friendly that quickly! Anyway, when I insulted him – and I know this part was wrong – when he looked at you, you didn't say a word to defend the two of you. If I were him, I'd be hurt too. Now will you quit being a baby and do what I'm asking you to?" Hannah stood quiet for a long period of time.

"I'm not the one who humiliated him."

"Longbottom is more than used to being humiliated and he doesn't care the least. He told me so himself on his reply letter. So if it isn't about your lack of support what else could it be?"

"Maybe…Maybe he really was embarrassed that you thought the two of us were an item…" Susan sneered humorlessly.

"I pretty much doubt that, dear. If he did, he'd be hiding in a cave by now."

"What you're talking about?"

"Drink it, Hannah. I'll explain it when you're sober." Hannah turned the mug at once on her mouth. It tasted even worse than it smelled but a few seconds later she was completely lucid. Susan stood up and went to the living room; she got back holding the newspaper Justin had left behind. "Skeeter." She said in a grave voice. "I believe that's the reason Neville wanted to see you." She threw the paper on Hannah's lap. At first, Hannah wondered why Susan would think Neville had called her to show her the gossip pages on The Daily Prophet but as she read the headlines she could already see where that was going.

"Oh no, she didn't."

**Love on Times of Revolution**

**By Rita Skeeter**

"_The final war against You-Know-Who has brought not only peace to the wizarding world but also has helped the love among many blossom. Could it be that we have yet another war heroes' couple shaping up?"_

Hannah kept reading, still finding it hard to understand, let alone believe the whole article.

"_Neville Longbottom (24); war hero, awarded herbologist and three times indicated on the "Top Ten Hot Bachelors List" by Witch Weekly Magazine, has apparently given up on his years of solitude."_

Hannah raised her head from the paper:

"Neville is a "hot bachelor"?"

"It came as shock for me too. Go on…" Hannah skipped a few unimportant lines about how Neville was shy, kind, sweet and had a "contagious" pair of grayish eyes.

"_Our great hero has been spotted very often on the company of the beautiful owner of "The Leaky Cauldron", Hannah Abbott (24)."_

"WHAT?!" She stood up at once, her face burning red. Susan waved her off impatiently.

"Darling, that's not even important; it's just one more humiliation to add to the huge collection of degrading events you had already gone through; both of you, really. All the two of you seem to do is get yourselves into awkward situations…Go on, keep reading, the worst part is still to come." She listened to her friend's advice:

"_Do men really prefer blonds?" _She read out loud and snorted. "Honestly, does this woman really have a _license_ to write?" Susan shrugged.

"_Well, at least we can tell for sure that they do have more fun! The couple is often spotted going out at night, visiting pubs and clubs – Abbott always cheery and a bit intoxicated…"_

"They just called me an alcoholic!"

"Such injustice! You of all people…" Susan said in a sarcastic tone that almost reminded Hannah of Potions' classes with Professor Snape. "Actually, skip the next five paragraphs, nothing useful there, it's all about where you were seen and the clothes you were wearing." Hannah raised her head from the paper again. "Hm, yeah, she offended your taste for shoes but complimented your "straight and glowing blond hair"." Hannah went straight to the seventh paragraph and read its content to herself:

"_Rumor has it that the affair is actually the fruit of a long existing love that was never concreted – ever since they were both studying together at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft:_

"_I always thought there was something going on there, you know?" says an ex-schoolmate who didn't want to be identified. "They were always disappearing at night; saying they were going to look for a missing toad but, honestly, how many times can someone actually lose a frog?""_

"That was _you_."

"I know," Susan said, not ashamed at all. "It was just too good of a chance to annoy you, I tried to avoid it but couldn't, it was stronger than me." Another tray fell straight on Susan's head but she was able to dodge on the last second. "But I swear they came to me before the incident on your house and before…before…"

"Before you knew they'd go looking for Ernie too." Hannah said as her eyes finally reach the bottom paragraph. Susan nodded her head as Hannah read in a weak voice:

"_When asked about the possible relationship between our two lovebirds, Ernie Macmillan (23), high executive of the Ministry of Magic and Abbott's ex-boyfriend, said he didn't know anything about it and sounded quite surprised at the mention of the likeness of it being an old case. Could this possibly mean the remains of an unsolved feeling? Is Hannah Abbott unavoidably attracted to powerful, dignified men? ..."_

"He might have felt so…" Hannah's brown eyes closed, very teary, while she made a ball of the article she'd been reading without minding to read it until the end. "So…"

"Disappointed, puzzled, hurt? You bet. He was here yesterday; talked to Justin for hours, not a pretty picture, I tell you." Hannah held her head in her hands, silent tears getting her face wet. A couple of weeks ago she had thought she was going to be able to recover; she'd be ok if she had Neville to help her, she'd get over Ernie and everything would be ok again, everything would be in place. But now she was back at the start; no Neville to support her, her feelings for Ernie vividly hurting her inside out, she was a lost cause. Susan put her hands on Hannah's shoulder and patted them gently as she cried.

"I know, Abbott, I know it only hurts more knowing the feelings are still there and that things could have worked out some other way." And, after she said this, they stood still until the night fell.

**A/N: **_Ok, so, as I had said, nothing much about their fight just a little misunderstanding and the usual Neville and Hannah messing everything up with their awful social skills. I'm not very fond of the first part of this chapter (except maybe for the Trevor talk) but I do like Susan's character. Don't we all have a friend who goes out of their way to hurt us but if someone else tries to do the same, they go all berserk on them? I believe that's the relationship between Hannah and Susan, they are very weird Hufflepuffs, both of them. _

_P.S: Who else can't wait for the Ernie drama to end so I can actually write a Neville/Hannah romance? lol I should problably warn you that the next chapter is filled with "Ernieness" so beware...but after that, I believe we will have a lot of joy and funny cute moments. Fluffiness FTW._


	8. Chapter 8: All Kinds of Flowers

**Nothing so Sweet**

**A/N: **_Another chapter! Yay! Lots of Ernie drama in this one but with a happy ending! Please, review alright? It doesn't have to be long or anything but it's really important to me, ok? Thanks to everyone who already did! _

**Chapter 8: All Kinds of Flowers**

It was the end of November, Hannah concluded dully as she felt her boots slipping and cracking the thin layer of ice above the ground of Diagon Alley. The majority of stores had already put on their Christmas' decorations, but the fairy lights were already sleeping and the floating banners were hidden inside the walls at that time of the night; it was past two in the morning. She sighed and watched, unhappily, as her breath drew clouds in the cold air.

She was walking alone, going back home, arms around her body, a thick woolen scarf covering half her face. She tried to focus on an old Celestina song she had heard on the radio that morning while she took a shower. She did her best not to think about Christmas and how it'd be lonely this year. She'd visit her father and his wife, of course; Christmas was a family holiday before anything and she owed them at a least two visits a year, she thought. But it'd be weird not to have Ernie around in the morning of the 25th, she'd have to start new traditions…She shook her head, trying to scare the thoughts away. That was when Hannah saw it.

Right in the backdoor of her bar, there was someone. She couldn't see her visitor's face but she couldn't take risks, it wouldn't be the first time someone would try to break into The Leaky Cauldron. Had this been a different occasion, she wouldn't really be afraid, as most of the intruders were usually pathetic bleeders trying to score some free pints and maybe some money – she could handle them easily – but she knew that, now that there was an article in the newspaper linking her to Neville Longbottom, there would always be a chance of dark wizards coming after her. She grabbed hold of her wand in her pocket and started approaching her visitor slowly and very cautiously. It was pitch black and she still couldn't see a thing, she was reminded of a time when no one could leave their houses at that time of the night.

"Who's there?" She asked feeling rather brave, snatching her wand from her pocket. She mentally thanked Neville for insisting on her getting back to the DA lessons on her seventh year. She felt a weird pain filling her lungs as she thought this but decided to ignore it. "Who's there?" She repeated vehemently.

However, barely a second later, she realized that her wand wouldn't be necessary. The intruder reeled towards her as if he was seriously injured. _Or awfully drunk_, she thought, recognizing herself in the other's wobbly steps.

"I've been thinking." Said the voice she knew so well. "You never remember where you keep the Christmas ornaments. You always forget which box has the everlasting snow and you never find the fairy lights." The voice broke off for a second. "And then I thought: she always leaves everything for the last minute, I wonder if she reminded Tom that it was time to start decorating?" Another pause, this time longer – almost cold – Hannah thought. Her visitor was now close enough to the backdoor lights that she could see he was holding a cardboard box in hands covered by elegant gloves. She narrowed her eyes the most she could, still not able to believe:

"Ernie…" She started.

"So I kept repeating things to myself over and over." Hannah had only seen Ernie drunk twice before and he was always cheery and silly; never that way. He kept his eyes on the box the whole time, his whole body shaking. "I kept wondering who would fix the tree for you. You hate doing it, don't you? Even with magical help, besides…" He hesitated. "I sincerely thought of not coming, Hannah, I sincerely did. I was going to let you live your life but I was really worried. And…"He took a deep breath as if trying to not lose composure. Composure was very important for him. "And Longbottom, he's just as clumsy as you are. I dread the mess the two of you could cause to this place." He laughed at his own joke but his laughter didn't seem joyful at all. "What if he hurt you while you decorated, uh? I didn't want anything to ruin your Christmas."

"Ernie…" Hannah's body seemed to have frozen, almost as if her pain was too big for it to bear so her organism had thrown her in a state of lethargy. She was thankful he didn't raise his eyes at her, she was afraid her numbness would go away if he did.

"I decided to walk by the bar, just to check, I swear. I had no intention of getting in but then…"

"Then you saw that there were no decorations." Hannah finished his sentence for him.

"Nothing! No trees, no fairy lights, no banners, no snow, no candies…Nothing!" His hands were shaking more. "So I decided to do something."

Hannah now could clearly picture him walking by all her employees, pretending to be calm maybe lying, saying he wanted to pick up something he had forgotten when he moved.

"I decorated the bar and then went upstairs, to put ornaments on the door of each room. I hadn't planed anything before, I'm not lying, but I couldn't resist so I…I entered our room." Hannah didn't bother to correct the plural in his sentence. "Everything looked the same. Our bed, the bathroom, our wardrobe...." He didn't seem to be talking to her anymore. "Even the mirror was just as unpleasant as ever." She could now see the tears rolling down his face deliberately and tried to control her own.

"I miss you. All the time, Hannah, there's this…space inside me, completely unoccupied, this void I can't fulfill. Waking up has been a nightmare, I… " Hannah rolled her eyes. She couldn't tell if she was angry or overjoyed and she hated feeling confused:

"You spend years putting me in second place, drink two glasses of elderflower wine and suddenly you're the wizard version of Romeo Montague, Ernie?" Her words were cold and she didn't mean them, she just wanted that to end. The bloke stopped shaking at once, he didn't expect that reaction:

"I just needed, I needed to see you, I needed to try, I…"He stopped mid-sentence. "I needed to confirm things."

"What do you need to know?" She said coolly, one of her eyebrows rose, knowing where he was going with this. She tried to keep strong while in the face of all that but this was turning up to be a lot more complicated than she'd thought.

"I couldn't find my pictures."

"Obviously."

"But there were no pictures of him either."

"…" Hannah hadn't decided whether or not to take advantage of Skeeter's article to force a closure to the subject.

"I don't need to expose anyone."

"For how long you've been with him?"

"You really should know by now that we're not to believe everything Skeeter says." Hannah was very proud of her answers.

"Here, have this." He handed her the cardboard box in a very aggressive way, making sure their hands didn't touch in the process. His whole expression had changed and more than half of Hannah was already regretting her speech. "These are the missing ornaments. I didn't decorate _your_ bedroom." He walked straight past her, walking towards the enchanted wall.

"Ernie…" She started. He turned around, still angry but with eyes somewhat hopeful. "The Alley is closed for visitors; you'll need to go out by London's side."

"Oh." His eyes lost their shine.

"I'll help you to the door." She said.

"There's no need; I can simply apparate."

"No, you cannot! What if there's a punk outside? They may see you." Hannah wasn't one to bother about such little things as this, ironically – she thought – she acting exactly like Ernie. He didn't argue.

--

Her pub was already closed; crystal silhouettes of bottles and glasses were the only presences there and Hannah could tell that Tom had made sure to expel their last costumers as soon as he saw what Ernie was doing. Tom deserved a raise, she concluded sighing. Ernie didn't seem to be as drunk as before but he still clobbered on a few chairs and had to lean on a few tables to avoid falling.

"You know what I also saw in your bedroom?" He broke the silence, taking her by surprise. She didn't answer nor looked behind but she could already anticipate the scorn in his voice. "I saw _flowers_." She remained in silence. "All kinds of flowers; they're everywhere; even some cacti! Does he know you hate that sort of thing?" He said in a bitter tone although he did sound victorious.

"I like flowers." She felt the need to defend Neville immediately. "And some of those cacti are really great!"

"Yeah, right." Ernie snorted. "You hate girlish stuff like that; you always said you'd rather just receive the money instead of…"

"Get out." Hannah snapped. She opened the pub's heavy door in front of her. "This is so typical of you! You're never brave enough to lose composure so you just decided to drink 'cause – if you were drunk – saying all this rubbish would be forgivable, right? You never have to guts to stand up and be "the bad person"." Ernie stared at Hannah blankly, unaware of what to do next. She went on:

"Quit pitting yourself so much and grow up a bit. You've earned this, we both earned this. You want to say bad things about me, it's alright; I chucked you but don't you dare come to my house and offend my friends nor the fact that I'm trying to move on! And don't you _ever…_" – She pulled the door with all her strength, bursting it open and holding it. – "Don't you EVER treat Neville Longbottom like that again. We both know he does not deserve this treatment." Maybe she still had some alcohol running in her blood but she was still shocked to hear the outrage in her voice, blushing. When had Neville become so important that she'd feel a need to defend him like that? Ernie started to leave, his gaze on his own shoes; Hannah's breathe very shallow.

"So I suppose now you like flowers." Ernie said so sadly that, even in her anger, she felt sorry for him:

"I guess I do." She answered a lot more softly than before. "But maybe it's just because…"

"They were a gift from him." Ernie completed her sentence.

"We're friends, Ernie." She stared at him, calming down. He grimaced poorly. "_We_ are friends."

"I know that. I know you." He raised his hand to touch her face but gave up as she backed off a little. "I'm sorry, Hannah; I'm really sorry I came here."

"I'm really sorry you came here too." She sniffed. "Maybe not as sorry as you since at least I got my Christmas decoration done for free." He chuckled:

"I love you." Hannah darted her eyes away from his. "I'll leave now."

"Goodbye, Ernie."

"See you soon, Hannah." And she watched him disappear in the dense fog.

--

Hannah took one step at a time, very slowly towards her room. She climbed the stairs, very slowly. She counted her steps upstairs then she went back downstairs; still counting. She enjoyed the fake sense of order in the middle of the mess she was in. She walked and walked; up and down her pub and the hallways of the hotel.

One step, two steps, three steps…A hundred and five, a hundred and six…She was hoping she'd be so physically exhausted once she entered her room that she'd have no time to feel any emotional pain but before she could realize she was standing in front of her bedroom door. She took a deep breath, already sensing the pain in her chest expanding like everything she had tried to keep bottled up had now escaped and took over her whole being. She opened her door and with a nonverbal spell she turned her lights on. She could feel her mind processing the last events so she stood very still, almost like in a trance; ready to crash down.

Then she saw him:

"Hm, Hannah…" He mumbled very awkwardly. "Would you believe if I told you I came here because Trevor ran away again? I can't seem to find him anywhere." She didn't know if he was serious or not but his voice was filled with both forgiveness and apologies. She suddenly felt the pain becoming a good feeling of warmth; something almost like real joy. She chuckled, the corner of her lips fighting an enormous grin. She walked swiftly up to him and locked his head in her arms, laughing. He was grasping for air and turning red with his ears pressed against her bust but he was back, he was finally back.

And he had brought flowers.

**A/N:**_Ok, enough with all the drama for a while, I mean, all this corniness is killing me; it's been a while since I wrote general/romance so I find it really weird to write scenes like that. Uahauahuah_

_From now on, a much stronger (though still very selfish) Hannah Abbott is gonna be the source of all Neville Longbottom's troubles. Ha ha! Next chapter is set during Christmas and, as I hope you can see, their feelings are all taking different turns. We'll learn more about Luna's wedding and – oh well – it'll be good to do a happier Hannah from now on. __Please, please review! _


	9. Chapter 9:Under Different Lightening

**Nothing so Sweet**

**A/N: **_I know; it's been an awfully long time since I updated this but, if it's any worth, it's been awfully long since I last update all my fics. On a side note, however, I'd like to reassure you all that I will indeed end this so fear not, my beloved readers. Thanks to everyone who sent me messages asking for an updated I felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside. I'm really thankful for having such nice readers like you lot. Lots and lots of love! And let's get this started!_

**Chapter 9: Under Different Lightening **

How very _Neville_ of him; Hannah thought as she stood outside Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. She had been there waiting for her friend for the last 30 minutes and still no sign of him.

"If I had someone here with me," She told herself. "I'd bet them ten galleons he forgot." Hannah took an impatient deep breath and leaned against the shop walls. It was a white Christmas morning and it seemed like any normal day at Diagon Alley except, maybe, for a few closed stores. The Weasley's shop was evidently closed as Ronald Weasley had once told her:

"You miss a Christmas party and my mom will tear your liver apart; she's very…" he made a calculated pause. "…_strict_ about family gatherings." Hannah had laughed out loud but neither Ron nor his older brother, George, seemed to be jesting, so she stopped.

Olivanders, Quidditch Quality Supplies and Eeylops Owl Emporium were also closed due to Christmas Celebrations but Fortescue's, most of the cafes and – she thought about it with a crescent bad feeling – The Leaky Cauldron remained open even during the holidays. Actually, she couldn't really recall the last time her inn had been ever so crowded. She felt so tired just thinking about it that her eyes lustfully fell on Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor just across the street. She'd been dreaming of one of his steamy hot cocoa ice creams for a long time but just as she was about to take a step towards the shop, a snapping sound came from behind her:

"I'm so sorry…." He panted "I'm late…" Hannah turned to face him with narrowed eyes:

"You owe me an explanation, Mr. Longbottom! Haven't your grandmother taught you better than to let a lady waiting?" She said it all in a mockery tone, with her hands on her hips but he seemed to take her seriously and stared sheepishly at his own shoes:

"I'm so sorry but I really got carried away with Hogwarts' feast." Hannah's jaw dropped, sincerely shocked this time:

"You traded me for _food_!? You're no better than Susan!"

"I brought leftovers." He tried, raising a hand to show her a brown paper bag.

"You're forgiven." She said and he chuckled. "So, are you ready?" Hannah changed the subject turning around to knock on Madam Malkin's door. Neville seemed uneasy:

"I don't know, Hannah, it doesn't feel right. Burgling in like this...Are you sure we won't be a bother?" Hannah rolled her eyes and knocked on the door again, he held her raised wrist to stop her. "I mean, seriously, isn't the store closed for Christmas?"

"Neville, we've been over this already, haven't we? Madam Malkin lives upstairs all by herself, and she _wants_ company for Christmas! I've talked to her already and we all agreed to do this, remember? Or would you rather buy your formal robes on a normal day with actual _people _inside the store?" The only reason she even discussed this with Madam Malkin was because Neville himself had claimed he couldn't walk around peacefully anymore, ever since the article came up on the month before, so Hannah had all right to be mad at him for backing off now. "Should I remind you that, in order to help you look presentable, I'd need you to leave the cabins fully dressed?" Neville grimaced and swallowed his own saliva bitterly. "Oh! I should probably also comment on the fact that I stood here for no more than 30 minutes and so far eight girls have already approached me to ask whether or not we were getting married…."

"Alright, alright! Point made; knock on the bloody door already!" Hannah rolled her eyes at him but smiled triumphantly. She knocked on the door three times and waited.

"You'd think a war hero wouldn't become such a girl over such small things as Skeeter rumors…"

"I'm not being _a girl_ about it!" He protested. "I just don't enjoy the idea of people discussing my love life." Hannah gazed at him. "Not that you're part of it or anything…" He mumbled turning red. "I'm just saying people assume things that are not at all relevant and…"

"Oh, Neville, stop;_ I_ know we're not a couple, no need to explain it so vehemently." She always got a little offended by the way Neville had to make everyone absolutely sure they had nothing to do with each other.

"What about you? How come you're not ashamed at all?" She sighed impatiently:

"I have nothing to be ashamed of. First because it's not true, second because I have no reputation to preserve and third because, well, you're a pretty awesome guy, aren't you? People actually started envying me after the rumors started…" Neville gagged.

"What kind of _person_ are you?" Hannah laughed. Ever since he had appeared on her house looking for Trevor (who turned out to be inside her pocket the whole time, very quietly so he wouldn't be noticed), she had decided not to worry about the rumors. She was just too thankful for having her friend back to worry about any other matter:

"Calm down, I'm just kidding. All I'm saying is that the rumors of us being together are all lies and, even if they weren't, all they do is say that I'm dating a very nice guy. You're the one who should worry though; they say I'm some sort of evil, no-good, scarlet woman, don't they?" Neville wanted to say something about this but, at this moment, an old – formidable looking – lady opened the door for them. She was wearing green and red robes and looked rather pleased to see them:

"Oh, you're finally here, Miss Abbott!" She said in a very cheerful tone before her eyes went straight to Neville's face. "Bless my soul!" she exclaimed. "Is it possible that you're even taller than you were when you came here on summer?"

"I doubt that…" Neville mumbled quite embarrassed. Hannah took off her coat and hung it by the door before she started pacing from side to side of the store:

"Well, how do we do this? Pick outfits first then lunch? Or would you prefer the opposite, Madam?" Madam Malkin stared at Neville for a while before saying:

"Well, you came from Hogwarts, didn't you, dearest? You're probably already stuffed."

"Don't be silly." Hannah said before Neville could open his mouth in protest. "Christmas is all about food. You're supposed to test your stomach limits. He'll be ok."

"Are you sure?" The old lady asked anyway.

"I'll survive, I'm sure." He shrugged, having no other choice but to agree with his friend. Madam Malkin seemed to sympathize with him though:

"Well, why don't you two start picking the outfits while I go upstairs check on the food? This will give your stomach some time, darling." Neville was very thankful to that. He looked around just to realize Hannah already had a pile of clothes on her arms.

"Alright, shall we start?" She looked almost gleeful and that, he had learned, was very seldom a good sign.

--

"I hate it. White is definitely not your color, Neville." Hannah said fifteen minutes later while he tried what seemed like his hundredth white robe. "I still don't get it why it _has_ to be white, you know?" Neville rolled his eyes, frustrated:

"It's part of the ritual." Hannah snorted:

"Ritual!" she mocked. "She's just getting married."

"It's not like that!" Neville protested. "Luna doesn't believe in marriage. She says marriage is for those who are not brave enough to completely trust the one they love without a contract. So the party we are going is merely a ritual of celebration. They are celebrating their love and union by kissing under a big willow tree while their loved ones wear white; it's a symbol of steadiness and beginnings." Hannah sighed heavily:

"She told you all of this?"

"Yes. It's in the letter I received; I had to read it a thousand times to memorize it all though; she insisted on me understanding the meaning behind it all."

"May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Is she going to be wearing a dress?"

"Yes."

"Will there be vows?"

"A few."

"Will there be food, beverage and people they both love?"

"I suppose so."

"Are they going to exchange something as a sign of their love?"

"She mentioned something about peacock feathers and pearls…"

"Then it's a wedding." Neville scowled and left the cabin once again, now using a different outfit. Hannah stared at him attentively: "Now…this one. It really suits you." She even seemed a little awed:

"You think?" He looked at his reflection nervously. "You just said white wasn't my color, didn't you?"

"Oh, no…but I really like this shade of white…You look sharp."

"Thanks." He avoided her compliments by staring at his cravat. Hannah came closer to fix his neck cloth and he suddenly felt claustrophobic inside the tiny changing cabin, even though its door was open.

"Say, Neville…" Hannah started from under his chin; his eyes were now focused on the ceiling so he wouldn't clumsily hit her head.

"Yes…" He answered with a croaky voice, trying to understand why he was feeling so awkward out of the blue.

"There was a rumor at Hogwarts I once heard…"

"About me and Luna?" Hannah was silent for a second.

"Yes." They both said nothing for a while. "Was it true?" More silence.

"L-look…" Hannah mumbled suddenly very self-conscious. "I'm just asking, is that…You never talk about yourself and I feel like a bad friend, you know? If you were to be her ex-boyfriend, you'd be a little hurt over her wedding, wouldn't you?" Neville looked at her and smiled:

"It's not a wedding." Hannah frowned and raised an eyebrow:

"Don't change the subject, Longbottom!" They were both under the yellowish light of the store cabins and Hannah's hair was glowing so bright he avoided to look directly at it. "Did you or did you not date Luna Lovegood?" He sighed:

"No, I didn't." She didn't seem to believe him as both her eyebrows went up her forehead. "I mean it. Neither did I ever like her."

"Are you for real?" Hannah seemed impressed.

"For someone who complains so much about other people interfering on people's love choices, you're quite a supporter yourself, aren't you?" She smiled sheepishly:

"It's not like that." She said while cleaning an invisible dust from his shoulder. "I just thought that you, war people, all had something for each other."

"War people?" Neville asked, confused. Hannah could be terribly confusing sometimes.

"Oh, you know. You war heroes!" She sat on the cabin's puff and laid her head against the mirror. "I mean, you're all so amazing and all that; no wonder you lot got all stuck together."

"You're ranting nonsense." He said, crossing his arms and looking down at her.

"Nah, it's something that I've been thinking about, ever since that Skeeter article. Ronald and Hermione, Harry and Ginny and all the others, you people all fought together, you're all famous and popular…"

"You really do think someone needs to have won a war to be with me?" He asked feeling a bit offended.

"No, it's not that. It's just…It's too much pressure; being your girlfriend, I mean." Neville's face reddened. "I'm not your girlfriend, Neville, I'm aware of that. I'm not talking about us." She waved him off. "But this Rolf…he's some sort of amazing person as well, isn't he?"

"Hm, I believe he's some naturalist or something of sort…I'm not really sure."

"Yes, as I thought. He's Rolf Scamander; the guy is super famous among magical creature's experts, didn't you know?" Neville smiled:

"I don't know about creatures that don't come in vases, Hannah." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I'm glad I'm not interested in you at all." She stood up and stretched, walking away from him. "You're too perfect; I wouldn't be able to survive the pressure."

"_Perfect_?" Neville almost gagged. "I think that's the first time anyone ever even used that word addressed to me! I'm far from perfect. You do realize the one reason people thought me and Luna were together was because we were both outcasts, don't you?" Hannah seemed really irritated by now but she just sighed and said:

"I wish you'd tell me more about your friends, you know? I really do feel like I'm a bad friend…"

"Now _you_ are the one changing the subject." He said. This conversation was becoming way too confusing and Neville was promptly reminded of why he had never been good at being friends with girls. They were way too complicated. But then, it hit him: "Say, Hannah…Is this about Skeeter?" She didn't say anything but blinked in surprise. "Is this because she said you were…using me?" Hannah shrugged as to act as if she didn't care but failed:

"Hannah, really, didn't you say you didn't mind her article?"

"And I don't! All I'm saying is that it's quite offensive to know that people think I'm some sort of gold-digger and that we ought not to be together." Neville reddened again. "I'm being hypothetical! " She yelled. Neville patted her shoulders:

"If you want my honest opinion…" He said, beaming. "I think you're even greater than a lot of war heroes I know…" She looked up at him. "And I'd be perfectly fine to have you as a girlfriend…Hypothetically, of course." He choked. Hannah was dazzled for a second; she knew those words might have been really hard for him to say.

"Thanks, Neville. You're great!" She made a pause. "Even when you're saying things out of pity." He opened his mouth to complain but before he could say anything he caught a glimpse of their reflection on the cabin mirror (they both strangely quiet for mirror reflexes) and felt a lump forming in his throat. He took his hand from her shoulders and said:

"It was not out of pity, I was being hon…."

"Ok, who's ready for pie?" Said Madam Malkin; who was finally coming downstairs.

"Oh, I'm starving!" Hannah pointed out with a smile. "I heard your food is great!" she then turned to face Neville:

"Go change already! I'll tell her we're taking these robes with us."

"Aren't you going to pick something for yourself?" He asked. "You're going with me, remember?"

"Yes, I do." She said. "But us, normal people, can afford to buy our clothes on normal days." She said laughing and rushed upstairs. Neville caught a last glimpse of her blond hair under the yellow light and he sighed, sitting on the puff himself.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" His reflection said, taking him by surprise. He decided it was better to ignore it.

--

"So, are the two of you going to spend the day together?" It was obvious by now that Madam Malkin thought them to be a couple but as if to prove Hannah he wasn't offended at all at the idea of them together, Neville didn't care to deny anything. She thought this to be very imbecile of him.

"No, no; not really." Hannah said. "Neville is visiting his family and I'm visiting mine." Madam Malkin looked sad for a second, and then turned to face Neville:

"How are your parents? And Augusta?" Hannah envied her; she never had the guts to ask a lot of questions about Neville's parents.

"The same, I suppose. We're all having dinner together today." _At the Hospital_; Hannah completed his sentence mentally. She was so selfish, she knew, worrying about a little visit to her old house when Neville had to face much worse. There was an awkward silence and Madam Malkin left to get them dessert:

"Hm, Hannah…" He started.

"Yes?"

"I didn't know when to give you this but…Merry Christmas." He said placing a box next to her now empty plate. Hannah seemed furious:

"This better not be something expensive 'cause I haven't got you anything." Neville laughed out loud.

"You're welcome, Hannah!" He said sarcastically.

"I'm not kidding, I don't like gifts; they're too much pressure."

"Honestly, woman, what doesn't pressure you?" Hannah really did have a nerve condition, he realized. She overreacted about pretty much everything. She glared at him: "Relax, it was no big deal!"

"Of course it is! We were fighting until what? Last week? how come you bought me a gift? That's utterly unfair!" Neville was now really laughing.

"Why is Miss Abbott so upset?" Madam Malkin came back holding a beautiful caramel pudding on a tray.

"She does that a lot." Neville said with a smirk and then turned to Hannah. "It's just a notebook, Hannah! That one with the green cover you liked that day on Flourish and Blotts, it's hardly a gift at all." She turned around and faced him with narrowed eyes:

"You're giving me something cheap but extremely meaningful? Die, Longbottom, die!" She hit his head half heartedly and he dodged, chuckling. Madam Malkin was laughing a lot too even though she didn't seem to understand exactly what was happening. Hannah smiled at her new notebook: "I hate you, Neville, but I love this. Thank you!"

"You're welcome…I guess." He said a little confused.

"Here!" Hannah suddenly searched her pockets, and snapped a colorful piece of paper.

"W-what's this?" He asked.

"It's a Drooble's Best Blowing Gum wrapper, of course. Don't you collect them? This is a new one; I kept just so I'd give you and forgot." Neville didn't really say anything; he just accepted it without a word and smiled:

"Thanks, Hannah. Thank you very much." Hannah smacked her head on the table.

"I know it sucks, alright? But I wasn't prepared or anything!"

"Well, children…" Madam Malkin served them a slice of pudding each. "Why don't we focus on the food for now? I recall someone saying Christmas is all about food!"

"Yes, please." Neville beamed and pushed a plate in front of Hannah. "There's no time for guilt in Christmas."

"Yes, you're right." Hannah said. "Easter is the time for guilt." They both laughed really hard but, once again Madam Malkin seemed a little lost. She smiled a lot though.

"You know what I love?" She said.

"What?" They asked at the same time.

"I like watching the two of you. If you ask me, Christmas is all about blossoming love." Hannah choked so hard, Neville rushed to get her a glass of water; he usually forgot about using magic when he was too nervous. Hannah took advantage of the moment to clarify things with the old lady:

"Listen, Madam…Neville and I, we aren't…an item, you know? You shouldn't believe in everything Skeeter says. Neville gets really nervous when people misunderstand our relationship." She said with her kindest smile. Madam Malkin looked very surprised as she looked at her and asked:

"Skeeter? Did Rita write anything about the two of you?"

--

Half an hour later, when they were both leaving Madam Malkin's store, Hannah made sure she kept her distance from Neville the whole time so they wouldn't run the risk of ever standing under mistletoe together. She had gotten so used to the rumors by now, she had completely forgotten how embarrassing it felt when someone assumed they were together without any influence, as if they were really acting like a couple.

Madam Malkin walked them to the door and smiled before closing the door behind them. They were now back on the white streets of Diagon Alley and Neville said:

"Well, I guess this is it. Merry Christmas, Abbott."

"Yes, yes; Merry Christmas, Longbottom." They were silent for a second. She rocked back and forth on her heels. "Say…Should we hug or something?"

"Are you insane? There are people all around us…"

"Yes, yes, you're probably right. Don't want them thinking the wrong thing…" And this time she was honestly agreeing with him; the shock of Malkin's comment still very alive on her head. "Oh well, then…bye."

"Yeah….bye." Another awkward silence. This was really, really weird. Why were they both so tense? Neville tried to hug her so he opened his arms. Unfortunately, she did the same thing, so they hit each other by accident and gave up. Hannah shrugged.

"Hm, listen, Neville, my birthday is coming up…"

"Is it?" He asked, surprised. "You shouldn't really tell me this. What if I buy you a gift?"

"That's exactly why I'm telling you this. I don't really get _gifts_ on my birthday. I usually ask for something else."

"Something else? Like one of those "adopt a ghoul" certificates or something?"

"Hm…no." She stared at him, thinking. "Well, you see, I usually just ask people to spend their time with me on my birthday. It's a tough date for me to gather people for a party."

"Why?"

"Well…" She started. "Do you have a date for Valentine's Day?" Her eyes closed as if she expected a negative answer.

"Wow, you must have had some seriously lonely birthday parties, haven't you?"

"You have no idea! But the loneliest is still to come, you know?" She sighed and Neville realized what she meant.

"Oh." He said. "So…"

"So, hm, please! Let's spend my birthday together!" Neville blushed furiously. Hannah said:

"Oh, so you already have a date?" She asked, disappointed.

"Excuse me, have we met? Of course I don't but…if we went out together on your birthday wouldn't it…_look_ like a date?" It was Hannah's time to come to conclusions:

"Oh." She said. "Oh!" She said blushing really hard. "I'm sorry, I didn't really mean it that way, I was just, I…Justin and Susan are probably going to show up at some point, so we wouldn't really be all alone, you know? I just didn't feel like spending the night of my birthday alone and…" She stopped again and bumped her head against the wall a few times, talking to herself. "Oh, I'm making it sound even worse!" Neville laughed out loud, so loud he had to lean against the wall and hold his stomach to breathe more evenly. Hannah glared at him, a bit hurt by the fact that he was laughing at her nerves.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said. "Don't worry, Hannah. I'll be there. I promise, it won't be a date at all."

"And don't you dare bring me a gift!" She said a little more relieved; he tried opening his mouth to argue but she raised a finger to his face: "I'm deadly serious about this, there's something I want to ask for, so you wait 'till the right time. Don't buy me anything!"

"O…ok." He mumbled. Hannah smiled from ear to ear, in the same close mouthed way she always did with her thin lips and, this time, almost with no awkwardness at all, she threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Neville! You're the best!" She let go of him and he studied all the freckles on her face as she waved bye before apparating. Under sunlight, he realized, her hair was even brighter.

**A/N: **_Nothing to complain about it now, uh? I mean, this whole chapter was so, so full of awkward shipping moments I almost feel like I wasn't the one that wrote it – lol! I have no idea when Hannah's real birthday is so I'm just guessing here. If you ask me, she's a little too passionate to be an Aquarius but still, I really needed her birthday scene so…there it is. If anyone knows the real date, please tell me! Ok, off I go. Please review! This chapter was nice, fluffy and long and I totally didn't reread it so it's probably full of mistakes. Anyway, your reviews make me write faster, so please, please, leave me a review! Love! _


	10. Chapter 10: Fireplace, Fireworks

**Nothing so Sweet**

**A/N: **_Wow, I was almost fast this time, wasn't I? Anyway, I'm not super fond of this chapter but I thought a New Year chapter would be necessary so I'm afraid to say there's maybe too little Neville in this chapter but Susan will make up for his absence (a bit) and we get to learn more about how Hannah bought the Leaky so – all in all – it's not exactly the most romantic of chapters…OR IS IT? *suspense music*_

**Chapter 10****: Fireplace, Fireworks…**

The whole place was crowded, Hannah could barely move without bumping into one of her clients; the whole situation made her not only claustrophobic but also extremely annoyed.

"Everything is under control now, boss." Said Doris, one of the extra employees she had hired for the holidays. "Tom says you're free to go if you want."f

Hannah took a look around the Leaky Cauldron; things did _not_ look as if they were under control:

"Is he sure about that?" She said with an incredulous tone. Doris smiled confidently:

"He said you'd probably say something like that and told me to assure you once again that he knows what he's doing and…" the girl blushed slightly, Hannah frowned:

"And _what_?"

"And that I was to tell you your job is upstairs with the papers and bills and he was the one supposed to deal with people." Doris looked scared as she waited for Hannah's reaction but all she did was laugh out loud and hand the girl the tray of butterbeer she had been holding.

"Well, I reckon he's right, don't you?" She smiled and stretched her arms, yawning. "Then I'm off to bed! Good luck with the costumers, Doris, and Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, boss. Aren't you staying for the party?"

"Not even if they paid me to, which, by the way…" She pointed to the costumers "…they kinda do." Doris giggled and Hannah started walking upstairs making sure to spot Tom among the crowd and blow him a kiss before turning her back on the party.

Tom, she considered, was an excellent person and, to her, almost like family (they sure bickered like relatives would).

It had come to her as a shock when she had first found out the Leaky was for sale; she was just staying there for a couple of months while looking for a house in Hogsmeade and a better job but the time she spent there was enough to make her realize she'd love to own the place:

"There are a few conditions though." Tom had said with his toothless smile when she showed interest for the first time. "The only reason I'm even selling this place is because I have no family to leave it to but I'd still like to work here, I want to be the barman here until the day I die." Hannah's jaw had dropped. One would think people would have greater death wishes than that. Tom laughed at her expression and patted her hand. "You're a good person, Hannah Abbott and I can see you really do like this place but it takes a lot more than liking to understand how meaningful the Leaky Cauldron is. If you really do buy it, I will teach you everything there is to know about this old building." He had said that with love in his eyes, as if the Leaky Cauldron was a part of him and not only a building or his house. He then took both Hannah's hands and led her to the kitchens, then the basements and attics (there seemed to be four of each) and some of the secret passageways. Hannah eventually grew used to the smells and the noises as she watched Tom for the next month; she finally started to understand what he had meant. So, only a few weeks after their conversation, Hannah bought the famous pub with her heritance money. Till today it was her most impulsive act ever but she was yet to regret it. Every now and then she'd take a wrong turn and find something new about the place and then she'd proud to call the place her _home_. Of course, after the Ernie fiasco, even the Leaky started to look haunted by ghosts of her past and she was tempted to leave again.

At first, Tom had trained her for all the possible positions she could assume and he was very quick in realizing she should never be allowed around the bar. Firstly because she had so much trouble saying no to costumers that she'd accept every drink they bought her, making her a very drunk barwoman by the end of the shift but the biggest problem, still, was Hannah's lack of people skills. When Tom first found out she had been a Hufflepuff, he had expected her to be ideal for the task of advising tormented incomers but – for some reason he could not explain – in an interval of less than 12 hours, she had managed to end two relationships, cause a mother and son to fight and almost drove a teenager to break his wand and drop out of school. Upon realizing that, Tom forbid her anywhere near the counter again even though – he admitted – that'd be a bit bad for business since her good-looks (his words, not hers) had attracted more costumers than what he was used to.

Hannah beamed as she unlocked the door to her bedroom, she couldn't believe it all had happened almost five years ago; so much had changed.

Her room was pitch dark; she slowly slipped out of her heels and undressed, grabbing a flannel shirt that laid on a chair and putting it on. She didn't mind taking off her makeup, she'd worry about it in the morning; the night was too cold to be enjoyed. She lay down on her bed, feeling the warmth of her sheets around her. That was when she felt something different than her pillows next to her:

"Hello, lover." A voice whispered in her ear. Hannah rolled out of bed and crashed against the floor yelling: "Lumos!" Lumos was one of the easiest spells to do without a wand but it'd be of very little use against a sexual maniac. As lights went on, Hannah desperately looked for her wand but soon recognized the distinct shape of a red-headed woman wearing bright yellow and smiling from ear to ear on her bed.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Hannah screamed, knees on the floor and hands on her bed:

"Oh, Hannah, you're no fun." Susan pretended to be hurt.

"WHAT – THE – HELL?" She burst again.

"I'm happy to see you too, dearest." Susan said waving her off and sitting on the bed. "Now, would you happen to have any food?" Hannah had to wait for her breathing to even out before saying:

"You almost gave me a bloody heart-attack!" Her friend just stared at her, faking innocence:

"Oh, did I? Silly little me." Hannah could tell she was browsing the house for food and not at all concerned about her reaction so she forced her weak knees to stand up and walk towards the fireplace to order room service.

"What were you _thinking_, Susan? Showing up like this, unannounced…" She picked two trays of food from the flames and served them on the bed. Susan sighed:

"Oh, you know Justin's family, don't you? It's not that I'm a witch…" She took a bite on a sandwich. "It's just that I'm not _adequate_ to their noble blooded name high values." She rolled her eyes at Hannah's pity expression. "He offered to stay with me but I told him to go, we had already spent Christmas together anyway. He can see my pretty freckled face tomorrow if he wants. So I dropped by for a visit." She smirked.

"And what exactly, among all these facts, led you to decide that waiting for me in the dark and then nearly frightening me to death would be a great idea?"

Susan sipped from her tea and shrugged:

"I find it amusing when you're upset."

"Nice." Hannah rolled her eyes and lay next to Susan on the bed.

"So, what are we up to tonight?" She asked, a new smile on her face, her red locks hanging loose around her frame. Hannah chuckled bitterly:

"_We_ are not up to anything. You know how I feel about New Year." Susan frowned and then grunted:

"Ugh. You're impossible! Why can't you give New Year a chance? You've been like this since we were kids!"

"The whole party is an ode to hypocrisy!" Hannah said. "First there's the concept of starting over; there's no such thing as starting over…" Susan started staring at a point on the wall. She had heard that speech at least a hundred times before. "And then there's this utter nonsense about changing. People don't change just because it's midnight! And don't let me get started on how pathetic New Year resolutions are…"

"What about being thankful?" Susan interrupted her in hope to put an ending to the ranting. "Shouldn't we at least celebrate the year that passed?" Hannah perked her eyebrows:

"Celebrate? _Celebrate?_" Susan took a deep breath. No wonder Tom had forbidden Hannah to take care of the bar. One conversation with her was all one needed to feel like committing suicide. "What's to celebrate? I mean, don't you reckon that being thankful for a whole year – even the bad things – is completely hypocritical? Nobody is happy about _every_ little thing that happens in a year; plus, what about the fear of the year ahead of us? A New Year really puts time into perspective…"

"Aye, Hannah, can't you at least give the poor fireworks a chance?" Susan muttered not bothering to be heard and staring out the window.

"And then we have to face the fact that we do have a whole new year ahead of us with a whole new bunch of problems that will come with it…"

"Stop!" Susan said abruptly, cutting Hannah mid-sentence "Your bitterness is ruining the taste of my champagne. Stop ranting like that."

"Well," Hannah started, defensive. "It's just my opinion." She sounded a bit hurt.

"Yes, I know it is. I've been listening to it since we were eleven." Hannah grimaced. " I was just hoping it'd have changed by now too, since you're all rainbows and unicorns nowadays…"

"I'm _what_?"

"You know; all cheery and weird." Susan said, pouring herself some more champagne. "Ever since you started dating Longbottom you're all bubbly and glowing and all that sort of thing…"

"I _am not_ dating Neville."

"Is that what the two of you keep telling yourselves?" she turned the glass on her mouth at once. Hannah's eyes narrowed at Susan but she just pretended not to see it. "All I'm saying is that there you are, complaining about how people think they'll change and how they're not supposed to be thankful about bad things when you – out of all people – should be the one thanking the most. For changes _and_ bad things." Susan expression became really serious. "I keep wondering how you would be right now if you and Ernie hadn't broken up, if you haven't got so close to Longbottom…" Hannah sighed; she wasn't expecting that. Even Susan had her deep, considerate moments every now and then. She smiled, thankful for having such a good – even if so evil – friend.

"Coming to think of it…" Susan said with a mischievous grin. "_Where_ is Longbottom? Don't the two of you spend like every waking moment together these days?" Just when she thought her friend had the slightest capacity of feeling anything like consideration towards others…

"Don't be ridiculous! Neville is with his grandmother for New Year. It's not like we have to see each other, alright? We _are not_ a couple." Susan's smile only grew wider at this. She said, her eyes focusing on something behind Hannah:

"Your fireplace;" she pointed at it. "Someone's calling you." Hannah turned around and walked towards the flames. A familiar voice filled the room:

"T-this is Neville Longbottom looking for Hannah Abbott…N-Neville Longbottom looking for Hannah Abb…"

"Oh my, who would ever guess?" Susan said with a smirk and Hannah picked a shoe from the floor to throw at her. She dodged and laughed out loud, her face already pink from all the champagne.

"Hello, Neville." Hannah tried, as formally as possible still flushed because of Susan's obnoxious remarks. "How's everything?" Neville – actually, Neville's head – smiled even though it was pretty obvious he wasn't really fond of fireplace communication.

"Hey, Longbottom, happy New Year!" Susan yelled from behind Hannah, scaring the two of them. Neville seemed a little jumpy for a second but then beamed at her:

"Oh, hello, Bones, a happy New Year for you as well; didn't expect you to be here." Susan chuckled:

"Neither did Hannah, you should've seen her face!"

"I have another shoe here, Susan, and I'm not afraid to use it against you." Hannah threatened. Neville, who had no idea what was going on, looked clueless. Hannah shrugged:

"She's a bit drunk." His eyes widened in surprised as he realized something:

"And _you_ are sober!" He seemed to be lost in thoughts for a moment. "Do you agree it's possible for the fireplace to take me to alternate realities?"

"I see we are feeling _bold_ tonight, Longbottom, aren't we?" She said holding the shoe on her hand so hard her knuckles were white. Neville laughed:

"Sorry, Hannah." He them watched her more cautiously. "You're not only sober…You're wearing pajamas!"

"Always remarkably quick-witted…" She pointed out sarcastically while attempting to cover her legs with her flannel shirt. Neville looked upset:

"Hadn't we discussed this? You were supposed to be having fun tonight not up here, _sulking_. The only reason I was ok with leaving you alone there is that you wouldn't spend the holidays _brooding_ like this."

"My point exactly!" Susan's voice came from the bed.

"And now the two of you will be ganging up on me?"

"Don't be silly." Neville said. "But you really should try. When was the last time you even saw fireworks?"

"Five years ago!" Susan said as if it were an accusation. "I forced her to watch them with me!"

"_What_?" Neville could barely speak in his shocked state. "You haven't seen fireworks in _five years_?"

"What's with you people and this obsession with fireworks? I _have_ seen fireworks, you know? The Weasley's shop is right around the corner in case you haven't noticed!"

"You know it's different" Susan said. "New Year fireworks represent the ending of something and the beginning of others. They are supposed to show us there are good things to hope for."

"Meaning they go against everything I believe then." Hannah said. Neville rolled his eyes but smiled, Hannah thought he looked a bit pleased with himself. It suited him, it wasn't a look she saw everyday:

"I thought you'd say that…" He started. "Anyway, I have something for you. It's a New Year plant! I grew it myself in my personal garden here so it's not as exuberant as the things I grow at Hogwarts…" He handed her a vase with a minuscule yellow flower that looked a lot like a tulip. Hannah seemed a little surprised:

"I always forget how cool fireplace communication can be. It's like a telephone and FedEx at the same time…"

"Like what?" He asked. She made an impatient face:

"Purebloods…" she muttered.

"Anyway, there you go." Neville's habit of presenting her with flowers had been very awkward at the beginning but now, after their fight a few months ago, she had learned to adore whatever plant he gave her. Still, with Susan on the room she felt a need to justify the gift:

"Say, Neville, what's this plant for?" The plants he gave her usually had a function like good luck, tranquilizing costumers or – more than often – curing hangovers.

"What is it for?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, I mean, you said it's a New Year plant…Is it for good luck?" A mysterious grin crossed Neville's lips for a second before disappearing completely:

"Hm, no…This flower…I believe, hm…" He thought for a second. "This flower helps people to win arguments."

"Win…arguments?" She asked, confused but before he could answer anything; they were interrupted by Susan who stood up at once, a bottle of champagne in one hand:

"Enough!" She yelled. "It's five to midnight; I'm going downstairs to enjoy the party." She marched towards the door but stopped between the fireplace and Hannah; pointing the index finger of the hand she was holding the bottle with to each of them:

"My advice to the two of you…" She said staring from one to the other:

"Grow up already!" She threw her arms in the air before bursting the door open. "You're so slow it's getting on my nerves!" She then reeled towards the stairs grunting nonsense about the two of them.

"That's potentially dangerous…" Neville said while following Susan going downstairs with his eyes. Hannah held the tiny vase against her chest and shrugged:

"I hope she breaks a leg or something. She deserves it." They both chuckled. "She's right though, it _is_ five to midnight; I suppose you should go be with your family."

"Yes, I should." They remained in silence for a while until Neville coughed. "The ashes are starting to make me sick anyway; Happy New Year, Hannah." Hannah beamed and scowled at the same time:

"Happy New Year, Neville." He disappeared on the flames and she felt very alone all of a sudden. She crawled back into her bed and waited for her eyelids to feel heavy again. With a wave of her hands, she turned off all the lights and breathed slowly.

Hannah had never liked changes, it was something she had learned from her mother; when she was young and her mother would comb her hair and do the pigtails she used for so long, she'd say that having a trademark was good, that people who were constant, people who were what they were and always stood true to themselves, constants…This sort of people always left marks on everyone. At the age of five, all Hannah wanted was to be someone her mother would admire so she decided she too would be a constant person; she'd try her best never to change her essence. Hannah dreaded New Year and its promises of restarts; she wanted people to remain the same, to never lose the feelings they had, or their beliefs… - ever since she was a child, the changes New Year brought along were never good: at first was her best friend at school who decided she was too cool to be around such a weird kid like Hannah, then she went to Hogwarts and was sent away from her family, then she lost her cat, and then Voldemort came back, and then her mother died until last year, when she lost Ernie; she had never acquired anything good as time went by…She didn't feel like celebrating changes, never.

But then, one day, she found herself begging for something new – and in the weirdest place, for the least expected of all people. She had begged, in tears, to Neville Longbottom for a change. She was eating ice cream and he was just listening, and Hannah wanted changes, not only wanted but _hoped_ for them.

And things did change, slowly in a calm pace – day by day – things she used to feel died slowly inside her, she didn't know exactly how. Being around Neville was weird, fun and more frequently than she'd hope for, awkward. Hannah still hated New Year though, but maybe she could give changing a chance, she thought to herself, just maybe.

She closed her eyes and felt her body relax and then she realized one thing: she was fine. In a long, long time she was completely fine.

But then, an explosion woke her up.

She opened her eyes to see her whole room illuminated which was impossible since she had turned all lights off, she then thought of Susan but she was nowhere to be seen; that's when she noticed the flower on the table next to her bed.

The tiny yellow tulip now shone an intense shade of red. Hannah approached it and watched as a ray of light came out from its center followed by a thousand more and they all exploded on her roof, turning into different shapes of flowers and patterns, showering her with stars.

Her bedroom door burst open to show a very drunk Susan with her arms stretched, crying:

"I'm sorry, Hannah! I shouldn't abandon my best friend on New Year; even you're such a pain about it!" She was completely wasted so Hannah laughed really hard, making her own tears of joy take different ways on her face. Susan finally noticed the explosions on the roof and commented matter-of-factly:

"You've gotta give this to Longbottom; the man got charms, doesn't he?" Hannah stretched a hand to catch some tiny stars and took one last glance on the tulip. She decided she could start liking New Years after all.

--

**A/N:**_I think Hannah is in love, thank you very much, lol. However, some of you are dying for them to be together quickly but I should probably warn you that it'll take a lot longer than usual for them to become a couple. This is a long fic (I think it'll have around 20 chapters, maybe a bit less) and Neville and Hannah are complete dorks when it comes to love so don't keep your hopes up. However, for the anxious at heart, I can promise you a kiss for the next chapter! A real one and all that. Anyway, sorry if I didn't answer your reviews or if I answer twice or something, this new reviewing system here confuses the hell out of me. _

_Anyway, don't you just love how Susan and Hannah are so bad at being Hufflepuffs? They care a lot about their friends and all that but just like Ron and Neville aren't always brave, they aren't always that friendly, you know? :D _

_By the way, merry Christmas and happy New Year in case I don't update' till then. I'm not a fan of New Years myself though not for the same reasons as Hannah, I guess. Anyway, go review now, go, go! Please : (? _


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